The Sister I Never Wanted
by Stephy-Lou Clark-Weasley
Summary: but can't quite get rid off. AU of series 1 and 3. before the Doctor met Rose, he met Donna. implied Doctor/Rose, Jack/Donna.
1. Prologue: Meeting Donna

The moment the TARDIS landed, he stumbled along the ramp, threw the doors open, fell to his knees and puked his guts up.

He had only just survived the Time War.

He had only woken from his regeneration and he already yelled at the TARDIS for saving him before he started to feel sick.

His clothes were too tight, too constricting, and too girly for his liking.

His hands looked older, bigger, rougher, the grass tickled beneath his palms and he enjoyed the actual feeling of life.

Someone coughed loudly.

He looked up to see a redheaded woman roughly in her thirties dressed in office clothes. The saying 'we are not amused' suited her better than Queen Victoria and that was saying something. The redhead raised an eyebrow.

"You better be paying to have my shoes replaced you big-eared twat" she said putting her hands on her hips.

He wasn't sure how or what exactly happened but this woman standing over him looking annoyed and unimpressed was now sitting on the Captain's chair in his TARDIS, her feet now dressed in the new shoes he brought her were resting on the console (and the fact the TARDIS hadn't sparked her was a surprise itself.) and he stood there now wearing black jeans, emerald green sweater and black leather jacket having a staring contest with the redhead.

"I want to see time and space" the redhead declared. "I want to help you save civilizations and I want to do a lot of running"

"Are you sure?" he asked her gruffly. "Because if you come, you can't go back"

"Yes I'm sure" she said rolling her eyes. "Now get a move on, I have a list of historical events that I want to witness, starting with the Titanic and if you try to kill yourself, I'll slap you, got that Space-Man?"

It surprised him how easily this woman had attached herself to him. But he loved it; he needed someone to keep him going.

"I got it" he nodded. "But you still haven't told me your name"

"Donna, Donna Noble" the redhead said getting up and offering a hand for him to shake.

He took it and grinned.

"Well off we go Donna Noble!" he said cheerfully. "This is going to be fantastic!"


	2. Rose

They had gone to see the Titanic set off; even stopped a family going on board, apparently, according to the Doctor the son of the family had a big part in history. Also it was to satisfy Donna's need to save at least one person, something she apparently set off to do, though he did have to tell her that the love story of Jack and Rose wasn't true and was just made up by Hollywood. They then went to see the assassination of J.F Kennedy where Donna had to stop him from jumping in front of a bullet, calling him an Insane, Suicidal, Space-Man, she then lectured him and told him she couldn't give three bags fall if his planet and people were gone because of him, it gives him no right to kill himself.

He had decided that along with pushy and gets herself easily attached, that Donna Noble was a bossy little know-it-all that didn't really know anything.

But for some reason the TARDIS won't let him get rid off of her. Instead of taking them to Earth she took them to too many alien planets that needed saving.

Seeing Donna Noble hold an injured child, refusing to let it go until it was in the safety of its parents showed him there was a soft side to the irritating woman.

Seeing Donna Noble knock a guard out to save his life showed him that she wasn't squeamish about violence like most companions. He actually hadn't seen such bluntness since Ace.

Seeing her glare, tell him off, pull him away from almost death situations just plain told him there was no way he can get rid off this irritating redheaded, hot-tempered woman.

When he finally admitted it out loud to the TARDIS, she landed him on Earth, Donna's present time with a little bleep showing something is trying to invade.

He looked up to see Donna's smirk and knew that after this invasion he'll be helping her pack her bags and load them onto the TARDIS.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Wilson!"

They both lifted their heads from the bomb they were working on.

"Did you hear something?" the Doctor hissed.

"Apart from my heart racing a million miles per an hour because we could all die? Let me think..." Donna said sarcastically raising an eyebrow. "Of course I haven't heard something Dumbo!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes but didn't comment, he kept an ear out (rather easy now since according to Donna his ears are gigantic but honestly he wouldn't know since he had avoided all mirrors).

"Wilson I got the lottery money" a female voice shouted. "Wilson!"

"I definitely hear someone" the Doctor said frowning.

Donna merely rolled her eyes.

"You're there?" the sound of a door being rattled can be heard. "Look I can't hang about, they're about to close the shop. Wilson!"

Donna sat up making a scarping sound with her heels. "Someone is here!" she whispered.

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed" the Doctor whispered sarcastically.

"Hello? Someone there? Wilson it's Rose, hello?"

"Doctor, the living plastic" Donna hissed. "It's going to kill her like it killed that Wilson bloke!"

"Come on quick before the plastic get her then" the Doctor said taking her hand and pulling her away.

"But what about the bomb?" Donna asked. "We can't leave it here willy nilly the plastic might use it!"

"S'all right I finished it ages ago" the Doctor said picking it up and pocketing it. Donna whacked the back of his head. "Ow, what's that for?" he grunted while rubbing the back of his head.

"For making me think I was going to get blown to bits!" Donna hissed.

"Shh!" the Doctor hissed back.

The two crept in silence. They can hear the girl yelling, telling the living plastic that this wasn't funny as it cornered her into the back of the basement. Suddenly the Doctor leaned forward and took the girl's hand.

"Run!" he said.

Donna found herself running behind the couple, who she had to admit looked rather good with their hands linked together like that. They rushed into the lift and the Doctor kept pressing on the button in hastily when suddenly an arm went into block the door from closing, the Doctor tried to pull it off while the girl whimpered in fear, pressing herself into the back of the lift. Donna wrapped the girl into her arms to comfort her.

The Doctor managed to pull the living plastic's arm off and the door shut.

"You pulled his arm off" the girl said in awe.

"Jeeze whizz what an amazing event" Donna said sarcastically letting the girl go as she caught the arm. No matter how impressive the Doctor was, he wasn't _that _impressive.

"Nice trick, is it students or something?" the girl asked smiling nervously. "Well is it students?"

"Why would it be students?" both the Doctor and Donna asked confused.

"I don't know!"

"Well you said it" the Doctor pointed out.

"Well to get that many people to dress up and act stupid it's got to be students" the girl said shrugging.

"That actually makes sense, well done" the Doctor said giving the girl a grin before turning his back from Donna and the girl with his arms crossed.

"Thanks" the girl mumbled.

"They're not students" Donna said softly, wondering how to tell this girl that they're aliens.

"Well whoever they're are Wilson will call the police on them" the girl said warningly.

"Who's Wilson?" the Doctor asked confused.

"The dead guy, numb skull!" Donna snapped rolling her eyes.

The doors opened and the Doctor ran out, playing with the controls with his sonic screwdriver.

"But that's not funny!" the girl cried out. "That's sick!"

"I know sweetheart, this is why this isn't a joke" Donna said softly, pitying this young girl. The Doctor grabbed hold of Donna's elbow and began to drag her away, the girl followed them.

"Well who are they then? What were they doing?"

"They're called living plastic" the Doctor said continuing to march along, his fingers digging into Donna's elbow. "They're being controlled by a relay device in the group, which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this" he pulled out the bomb, letting Donna go, who glared up at him. "So I'm going to go upstairs and blow it up" he opened the fire escape and practically pushed Donna out, the girl followed Donna. "And I might die in the process but don't you worry about me, go on, go, go and enjoy your lovely beans on toast" he then slammed the door.

Donna ran to it and banged loudly. "IF YOU DIE I'M GOING TO FLIPPING KILL YOU SPACE-MAN!" She shrieked.

The door opened again and Donna stepped back.

"I'm the Doctor by the way and this is Donna she'll look after you. Who are you?"

"Rose" the girl answered.

"Nice to meet you Rose, run for your life"

Before he could shut the door Donna slapped him. "Don't you dare die, Space-Man" she hissed.

"Ow!" he protested rubbing his cheek before slamming the door shut.

"Urgh, that man!" Donna muttered darkly before herding Rose away. "Come on dear, best get out of the way."

Donna barely got the girl across the street when the building exploded. Rose ran off while Donna sighed and slipped into the TARDIS that was parked in the shadows of a building.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

When the Doctor got back into the TARDIS he was met by a furious Donna in her fluffy dressing gown and hair put in rollers, the epitome of a domestic woman in his opinion, something he shys away from.

"You stupid half-wit alien" she snarled. "You could have died!"

"You sound like a henpecked mother" the Doctor shot back shrugging his leather jacket off.

"Am I not allowed to worry about my friend?" Donna asked.

"I don't need mothering Donna Marie Noble!" the Doctor shouted.

"Oh no, you didn't" Donna said quietly, her eyes blazing with fury. "You did not just use my middle name"

The Doctor was sure that this woman would have killed him or worse slap him again when a beeping sound distracted them.

"Has she found the signal?" Donna asked tightening the belt of her dressing gown as she peered over his shoulder.

"No she found another one" the Doctor said groaning. "Just my luck to find a killer mannequin"

"And you rescued the girl" Donna said smirking. "You liked her"

"She seemed to be a nice girl" the Doctor mumbled.

Donna snorted. "You were impressed, she made a logical, reasonable, smart point and it impressed you. I bet you'll invite her to join us before this little adventure is over"

"Would you put your money where your mouth is" the Doctor said smirking, Donna was tight fisted, there was no way she would bet on something like this.

"Yeah, ten quid says Rose will be in this TARDIS travelling with us before this adventure is over" Donna said confidently.

Damn, no such luck! Donna was too confident that he would invite this little girl.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"I don't like this" Donna sniffed wrapping her arms round herself tighter. "We could be walking straight into a trap or we could be mugged before we get back. If I get a knife in my chest I'll kill you"

"Would you just shut up for a moment?" the Doctor groused as he got on his knees and peered through a cat flap on a door. Donna rolled her eyes and tried her hardest to resist temptation of beating the man within an inch of his life.

Suddenly there was a gasp and the door opened to reveal Rose, the sweet blonde girl from the night before.

"What are you doing here?" the Doctor asked getting up on his feet.

"She obviously lives here you dingbat" Donna said rolling her eyes. "Ignore him Rose, he's always rude"

"Must have gotten the wrong signal" the Doctor said fiddling with his sonic screwdriver.

"Wouldn't have been the first time you done that" Donna said snickering.

"OI!" the Doctor protested, he knocked is fist on Rose's forehead. "You're not made of plastic are you?"

Donna rapped her fist on his forehead. "Yep it's empty, not a brain cell in sight" she said winking at Rose who grinned back.

The Doctor just shot Donna a withering glare. "Well then I guess this is good bye" he said trying to walk past.

"You inside now" Rose growled pulling the Doctor back in. Donna was rather impressed with the girl's strength and strolled in with a smirk.

"Who is it?" an older woman's voice called.

"It's about last night" Rose said leaning against a bedroom door. "Part of the inquiry, give us ten minutes" she walked away into the living room and Donna followed with a glint of amusement in her eyes. Rose was going to be someone she got on with, she can tell.

"She deserves compensation" the older blonde woman in a pink silk dressing gown said staring at the Doctor and Donna with a suspicious eye.

"Oh we're talking millions" the Doctor said dismissively.

"Ah, I'm in my dressing gown" Rose's mother said flirtatiously.

"Yes you are" the Doctor said nodding; Donna was trying to not laugh.

"There's a strange man in my bedroom"

"Yes there is"

Oh god if he was going to keep this up Donna will be breaking a rib by suppressing her laughter.

"Well anything could happen" the woman whispered.

"No!" the Doctor whispered back shaking his head before walking away quickly.

Donna was now laughing her head off.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna sat watching the pair with amusement, the Doctor had just flipped through the magazine, read a book, found out Rose's last name (Tyler) and was admiring his reflection, while Rose was making them coffee and talking about the night before with complete and utter seriousness. If he wasn't an alien and looked so old and if she wasn't so young, Donna would have said the pair were a couple. The Doctor was now playing with a deck of cards and he dropped them everywhere on the floor.

"Pick them up" Donna ordered giving him her best 'general' stare. He glared back before doing as she said. Suddenly she heard a noise behind her and she turned over to peer over the sofa. "Rose have you got a cat?"

"No" Rose called back.

Suddenly a plastic arm shot out and began to strangle Donna. The Doctor ran to her side and began to try and pull it off of her.

"I'm...going...to...flipping...kill...you...Space...Man" Donna gasped between chokes as the Doctor struggled to rip the arm off of her.

Rose was still talking about cats in the kitchen. She came in with the cups of coffee; she saw the scene and rolled her eyes.

"I thought I told Mickey to chuck that out" she said. "I don't know all the men are the same give them a plastic arm and...Didn't think you would play along though Donna. What is your name anyway, Doctor who?"

The Doctor managed to get the arm off of Donna's throat when it when flying off and grabbed hold of Rose's face trying to suffocate her. The Doctor leaped up and tried to pull it off, Donna holding onto his waist tightly as she helped with the pulling. Suddenly the three fell into the coffee table smashing it and Rose rolled off of the Doctor (who was still crushing Donna) and sat back up on the sofa trying to pull off the arm her self. The Doctor sat up and was pushed by an angry Donna who yanked out the sonic screwdriver from his pocket.

"What setting was it?" she asked.

"Oh give it here you stupid ape" the Doctor snapped snatching the sonic screwdriver back.

"Stupid ape why I ought ta-"

"Donna not now!" the Doctor used the sonic screwdriver on the arm until it no longer moved. "There we go I stopped it now, harmless" he threw it at Rose who caught it.

"D'you think?" Rose asked glaring as she used the arm to hit him.

"OW!"

"Oh I really like her" Donna said nodding.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"The Doctor fancies Rose, the Doctor fancies Rose, the Doctor fancies Rose, the Doctor fancies Rose, the Doctor fan-"

"DONNA WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP?"

Donna stopped singing her little irritating song and glared at him. "Well you do" she said sternly. "Never before have I seen you so impressed by a human woman"

"I was impressed by you" the Doctor argued.

"Yeah after I pushed you, argued with you and fought for every little bit respect you now give me" Donna pointed out. "This girl comes out of no where and you're impressed! She asks the right questions, she's compassionate and she's not overly impressed by you. Hell even I like her."

"So I'm impressed by her doesn't mean I fancy her" the Doctor said defensively.

"Oh yeah, so why did I see you checking out her breasts when you went to pick up that flipping arm?" Donna shot back.

There was a moment's silence.

"Oh my god you pervert!" Donna shrieked.

The Doctor had to run as fast as he could to avoid being slapped.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Are you sure this is where the signal was coming from?" Donna asked raising her eyebrow at the kitchen of Pizza Express.

"Yes Donna I am sure" the Doctor said rolling his eyes. "Now let's go before you find an excuse to slap the chief"

"I wouldn't!" Donna protested peering out of the kitchen door, her eyes landed on a familiar blonde. "Hey Doctor, your girlfriend is over there"

"What?!" the Doctor peered out and spotted Rose sitting with a plastic looking black boy. "I'm beginning to think that girl is right. That the living plastic is after her. Come on then lets rescue her" he ducked back in to the kitchen and came back with a bottle of champagne. "And she's not my girlfriend" he added before strolling towards the table.

Donna snorted. "Could have fooled me" she mumbled.

"Babe-babe-sugar-sweetheart" the plastic boy said moving his head in an awkward movement. Now either the living plastic is having a fault or the guy really is that retarded that he moves his head like that.

"What are you doing that for?" Rose asked looking rather creeped out. Damn that meant that the living plastic was having a fault.

"Champagne" he said.

"We didn't order any" the living plastic said dismissively. He grabbed hold of Rose's hand. "Where's the Doctor?"

The Doctor suppressed a laugh and moved to Rose's side. "Ma'am your champagne" he said.

"Sorry it's not ours" Rose said not looking at him. "Mickey what's wrong?"

"I need to find out what you know, so where is he?" the living plastic demanded.

"Does anybody want some champagne?"

"We didn't order any..." the living plastic trailed off and attempted a smile. "Ah got ya" Rose turned to look at him in surprise.

"Yeah don't mind me, just toasting the happy couple" he shook the bottle before let the corkscrew loose. The corkscrew shot out and was absorbed into the living plastic's skin. The living plastic chewed on it before spitting it out.

"Anyway" the living plastic said standing up, his had transformed into a flat board like thing as he held it up to hit them. People began to scream and Rose ran to the side, the Doctor grabbed the living plastic into a headlock and he began to try and pull the head off.

"Come on put some backbone into it!" Donna shouted from the kitchen. "You're not going to win any wrestling matches the way you're going sunshine!"

"Donna just shut up!" the Doctor shouted as he pulled off the living plastic's head. People began to scream even more.

"Don't think that's going to stop me" the living plastic hissed.

His body got up and began to attack the tables; Rose slammed her hand against the fire alarm getting everyone's attention. "Everyone get out, get out, everyone get out, get out!" she said running to the kitchen.

Donna grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her through the kitchen and out in the alley towards the TARDIS, the Doctor hot on their heels. They slammed the door shut and the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on the door, Rose ran to the metal gates and began to pull at them as Donna unlocked the TARDIS.

"Use your transmitter thingy to unlock the gates" she called to the Doctor.

"Sonic screwdriver" the Doctor corrected her waving it as he went to the TARDIS.

"Well use it!" Rose shouted.

"Nah tell you what lets go in here, Donna can make us a cup of tea" the Doctor said following Donna into the TARDIS.

"Make your own blooming tea!" Donna shouted over her shoulder. After a lot of shouting Rose came in and stared in shock. She ran out again. "Was I ever like that?" Donna asked.

"Nah you were worse, slapped me at least three times" the Doctor said putting wires into the living plastic.

Rose came back in. "it can still get us" she said sounding terrified.

"The men of Ghangis Khan couldn't get through those doors, trust me they tried, now shut up" the Doctor said walking round the console playing with his sonic screwdriver.

"Why was Ghangis Khan trying to get through these doors?" Rose asked.

"Donna's fault, didn't I tell you to shut up?" Donna slapped the back of his head. "OW!"

"Manners go and find them Space-Man" Donna said glaring at him.

"Now you see the arm was useless" the Doctor said putting the head down on the console. "But the head, well that can help us trace the signal straight to the source" he turned round to Rose and put his hands in his pocket. "Now where shall we start?"

"Erm the inside is bigger than the outside" Rose said nervously.

"Yes" the Doctor nodded.

"Almost gave me a heart attack when I first saw it" Donna said grinning.

"It's alien" Rose said calmly.

"Yeah"

"Are you alien?" Rose asked.

"I am, Donna isn't she's human. Is that all right?"

"Yeah" Rose answered before the Doctor could even finish his question.

"It's called the TARDIS, T, A, R, D, I, S. Stands for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space" the Doctor explained. Rose began to cry; Donna rushed to her side and held her. "That's all right, culture shock, Donna didn't cry though, she slapped and yelled but no tears..."

"Oh don't be such a big dumb dumbo!" Donna spat. "She's crying for her boyfriend!"

"Did they kill him? Mickey, did they kill Mickey?" Rose asked.

"Oh I didn't think of that" the Doctor said.

"You didn't think!" Donna shrieked before Rose couldn't open her mouth. "This poor girl's boyfriend has been taken, probably killed just so they could copy him, you ripped his head off and you didn't think?"

The Doctor took a step back from Donna in case she would slap him.

"And now you're going to let him melt?" Rose cried out.

"What?" both Donna and the Doctor blinked before turning round to see the head melting.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no" the Doctor ran round the console. "Signal still there, faint but I got it" he started the sequence and the TARDIS began to move. "No, no, no, no, no, no, here we go, off we go!"

The TARDIS landed and both the Doctor and Donna ran out, Rose shouting after them.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna leaned against the TARDIS watching in amusement as Rose and the Doctor argued about Mickey. She bit her lip to stop laughing when Rose placed a few good questions and the two were admiring the anti-plastic while grinning like idiots at each other. People thought she and the Doctor acted like a married couple, well they haven't seen anything till now, if anything Rose and the Doctor acted more like a married couple.

The Doctor was now babbling about the transmitter, describing it to Rose when he stopped before the millennium eye, his back to it. Donna and Rose exchanged looks of mirth before turning to face the Doctor.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

The pair nodded at the millennium eye.

The Doctor looked at it and then back to them. "What is it?" they nodded to it and he looked back. "What?"

"Flipping heck, how stupid are you?" Donna squawked.

The Doctor looked back. "Oh" he said quietly taking another peek at the millennium eye before looking back at them. "Fantastic!" he said running.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna was very, very impressed with Rose. The girl had found them an entrance to underneath the eye so they could find the conscience. As they three quietly walked down the boiling tunnel, the Doctor leaned over the railings.

"The Nestene Conscience. That's it over there in the vat, a living plastic creature" he pointed out to what looked like moulting lava in a hole to Donna.

"Well then tip in your anti-plastic and lets go" Rose said calmly.

"I'm not here to kill it" the Doctor snapped. "I'm here to talk to it, I got to give it at chance" he went down the ramp with Rose and Donna lagging behind him. "I'm here to seek audience with the Nestene Conscience under peaceful contract according to the convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation"

The thing made a bubbling noise.

"Thank you, may I have permission to approach?" the Doctor asked.

Rose spotted Mickey and ran to hug him. The Doctor and she argued briefly over him and how the Doctor never said that Mickey could be alive. Donna rolled her eyes as she heard the Doctor say "can we leave the domestics outside?" and decided to wait till later to lecture him. She stood by his side as he tried to convince the Nestene Conscience to leave, every single thing he said that insulted her, humans or anything else she made a note of, the way he was going she was going to spend hours yelling at him.

"DOCTOR, DONNA!" Rose shouted before the pair got restrained by plastic dummies.

The Nestene Conscience found the TARDIS and went ballistic, it started the final attack and the Doctor who looked distraught was trying to get Rose to go, Rose who was calling her mother didn't seem to be going anywhere. Donna closed her eyes and only hoped her family was safe.

Suddenly Rose came flying down on a chain like Tarzan or something, kicking the dummy that was restraining the Doctor, so the Doctor could flip it in the Nestene Conscience and then she kicked the one restraining Donna, also the one that had the anti-plastic into the Nestene Conscience...killing it.

Rose swung back. The Doctor shouted her name before catching her and Donna really thought that, that would be the perfect moment for a kiss. The two looked like some sort of adventure romance couple together.

"Now we're in trouble" the Doctor said grinning before running off with Rose and Donna trailing after them.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Mickey ran out of the TARDIS as quickly as possible while Rose walked out coolly trying phone her mother.

"Wimp" Donna mumbled causing the Doctor to snigger. She then pulled out her own phone and dialled her mother's number. "Mum? Are you all right?"

"Of course I'm all right Donna I've been sitting in the house reading this good book while your twat of a grandfather is raving on about aliens"

Donna sighed in relieve. Thank god, her mother had been no where near the living plastic or her Grandfather. "All right then, just checking in. I got to go, bye Mum"

"Bye Donna, really you should call more often"

"I'll try" Donna promised while crossing her fingers. She then hung up and looked over to see the Doctor leaning against the door frame of the TARDIS.

"Nestene Conscience, easy!" the Doctor snapped his fingers.

"You and Donna were useless in there. The pair of you would have been dead if it weren't for me" Rose pointed out.

"Yes I would" the Doctor admitted, Donna's jaw dropped open, it took five rescues for him to finally admit that without Donna Noble the Doctor would be dead and for Rose it only took one...oh the man has got it bad. "Thank you, right then, guess I better be off...unless...you...well want to come with me. This box doesn't go round London you know, all round the universe, free of charge."

"He's an alien, he's a thing" Mickey shouted hysterically.

"He's not allowed" the Doctor said nodding to him.

"Can I slap some sense into him?" Donna asked the Doctor while glaring at Mickey, aliens have feelings as well!

"No Donna, you can't" the Doctor said pushing her back into the TARDIS. "So what do you think?" he asked Rose. "You can stay here and fill your life with work, food and sleep or you can go...anywhere"

"Is it always this dangerous?" Rose asked.

"Yeah" the Doctor said nodding.

Mickey clung tightly to Rose's waist. "Cling on" Donna coughed. She was rather disappointed as Rose told the Doctor no. She was even more disappointed when the Doctor accepted it and took the TARDIS into the vortex. She voiced those thoughts to him.

"The girl didn't want to go, I can't force her" the Doctor said gruffly.

"The thing is she was so tempted. I think if Mickey never clung to her like that she would have gone with you" Donna carried on.

"Doesn't matter" the Doctor muttered not looking up from the console. "Now you owe me a tenner"

"Oh no, I don't because you're going back and this time I'll ask her"

"What?"

"Well you obviously didn't do it right, so it's my turn" Donna said crossing her arms. "Take me back"

The Doctor took one look at Donna's determined face and sighed. "Can't we just adopt a puppy or something" he asked. "Because it feels like you're trying to fill every room in the TARDIS up with life"

"JUST TAKE US BACK!"

The Doctor moved quickly. "There we go should only be a minute since we left" he said. "All yours"

"Good now watch the human expert do her job" Donna said winking, she strolled down the ramp and opened the door and stuck her head out. "OI! Rose did the idiot tell you that it travels in time?"

She stepped away from the door giving room for Rose to run in, her hand out stretched to the Doctor.

"Don't have any money" the Doctor grumbled.

"Don't worry I'll just add it to account of money you owe me" Donna said smirking. "The rate you're going you'll owe me a million pounds before Christmas"


	3. End of the World

**Previously:**

_She stepped away from the door giving room for Rose to run in, her hand out stretched to the Doctor. _

"_Don't have any money" the Doctor grumbled. _

"_Don't worry I'll just add it to account of money you owe me" Donna said smirking. "The rate you're going you'll owe me a million pounds before Christmas"_

Rose ran in with a huge grin on her face, shutting the door behind her and stepping up beside Donna who looked like the cat who got the cream.

"Right then Rose Tyler where do you want to go?" the Doctor asked trying to look impressive. "Forwards or backward in time, it's your choice. What is it going to be?"

"Erm forwards" Rose said trying to look casual.

"Yes!" Donna hissed happily. "Haven't had a proper chance to see the future yet"

"How far?" the Doctor questioned putting the time rotor back on the console.

"Erm...100 years?"

"Done" the Doctor started the sequence up and to Donna's surprise the TARDIS actually moved smoothly. "Outside those doors is the 22nd century"

"You're kidding me" Rose said.

"He's not" Donna butted in.

"But that's a bit boring though" the Doctor said. "Wanna go further"

"Hell yes!"

"I was asking Rose Donna not you" the Doctor scolded Donna who merely stuck her tongue out at him.

"Fine by me" Rose shrugged. The Doctor started up the sequence again.

"10,000 years in the future. Step outside it's the year 12005, it's the new Roman Empire" the Doctor said smugly.

"You think you're so impressive" Rose said laughing.

"I am so impressive!" the Doctor protested.

"You wish" Donna and Rose said in unison.

"Right the pair of you asked for it, I know exactly where to go" the Doctor started the sequence, only moving a bit faster than usual. "Hold on" he warned them. The pair held onto the console tightly until the TARDIS finally slowed her engines, the Doctor rung the bell for no other reason than to look impressive.

"Where are we?" Rose asked the Doctor only held his hand out to the door. "What's out there?" the Doctor didn't answer, he only grinned goofily. Donna beamed back and herded Rose to the door.

"Go on open it" she encouraged the young girl. "It's going to be literally a whole new world out there and you're going to love it"

Rose slowly opened the door and slowly stepped out; Donna followed her and eyed the room suspiciously. It looked like a spaceport or something. The Doctor came out and used the sonic screwdriver on the controls pulling down the shutters on the window down to reveal...Earth. Rose looked astounded while Donna took a sharp breath of amazement, Earth looked beautiful.

"You lot spend most of your time thinking you're going to die by beef, eggs, global warming or even asteroids" the Doctor said crossing his arms. "But you never think of the impossible, that you're going to survive. This is the year 5.5/apple/26 five billion years in your future. And this is the day, hold on" he paused to look at his watch when suddenly there was a bright flash of light. "This is the day the sun expands...welcome to the End of the World"

Rose looked scared and shocked while Donna took a different approach.

"You're kidding me" she shouted. "Oh this is awesome! Me Donna Noble at the End of the World!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Shuttle five and six are now docking. Can all guests be reminded that on Platform One it is prohibited to use weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth's death is scheduled for 15:39 followed by drinks in the Manchester suite."

"So when they say guests...do they mean people?" Rose asked.

"Depends what you mean by people sweetheart" Donna said thoughtfully. "Could be human, could be android, could be a rabid Weevil thinking you're dinner..."

"Oh...so what are they doing on this spaceship? What is it all for?" Rose asked.

"Not really a spaceship" the Doctor said taking his sonic screwdriver out to work on a door. "More like an observation deck. The great and the good have gathered to watch the planet burn"

"And by the great and the good he means the snobby lords and ladies" Donna elaborated.

"What for?" Rose asked.

"Fun!" the Doctor replied as the door opened and he strolled in.

"Hang on, they did this on Newsround, the sun expanding...that takes hundreds of years" Rose said.

"Millions" the Doctor corrected her. "But the Earth was on a national trust. They had been keeping it safe for years. See that there" the Doctor pointed to something and both Rose and Donna stood on their tiptoes to see it. "Gravity satellites."

"The planet looks the same as ever though" Rose said. "I thought the continents were supposed to shift and things"

"So did I actually...go on Space-Man tell us about it" Donna said grinning as she elbowed the Doctor in the ribs.

"The trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth down there...but now the money has run out, nature takes over" the Doctor said acting as if Donna never elbowed him.

"How long as it got?" Rose asked.

The Doctor peered at his watch. "About half an hour and then it gets roasted"

"You're enjoying that idea a bit _too _much" Donna said eyeing the Doctor suspiciously. "Is that why we're here so you can get off of the Earth being burnt?"

"NO!" the Doctor burst out.

"Are we here to save it then? Save all the people" Rose asked quickly before a full blown argument grew between the Doctor and Donna.

"We're not saving it, times up. The planet is empty"

"Just me and Donna then" Rose said quietly.

"Who the hell are you?" The three turned round to see a small blue man in robes holding a clipboard stroll up to them.

"Oh that's nice thanks" the Doctor said sarcastically.

"Lovely manners you have" Donna added just as sarcastically.

"But how did you get in?" the blue man pressed. "This is a maximum hospitality room. The guests are on their way, they just disembarked. They'll be here any min-"

"Look I'm a guest see" the Doctor interrupted waving a leather wallet at the man. "The Doctor and his plus two. I'm the Doctor and this is Rose Tyler and Donna Noble, they're my plus two is that all right?"

"Well apologies obviously, etc." The man said looking stern, the Doctor nodded trying to look serious. "And since you're here I guess we can start" the man walked away while the Doctor explained the uses of psychic paper to Rose.

"He's blue!" Rose exclaimed.

"Yeah" the Doctor grinned.

"Ok" Rose murmured obviously overwhelmed.

"We have in attendance the Doctor, Rose Tyler and Donna Noble" the Doctor shot the man a wave. "Thank you, all staff in positions" the blue man clapped his hands and smaller blue people in lumber suits strolled out and got into position by the doors. "And now may I present from the Forest of Cheen, we have trees! Namely the Jabe, Ute and Copper" the doors opened to reveal a beautiful female tree dressed in red and yellow silk with two men dressed in black. "There will be an exchange of gifts to incorporate peace if you can keep the room circulating, thank you." The man paused as the doors opened again. "Next from the solicitors Jaco, Jaco we have the Mox of Baloo" a blue chubby man in a robotic circular chair rolled in. "Next we have from the Financial Family of Seven we have the Imperial Repeated Mean" a group of black cloaked people walked in. "the inventors of Hypo-Sniff Travel Systems"

The blue man continued his introductions as more and more weird looking aliens came strolling in. Suddenly Jabe walked up to them holding a pot plant.

"A gift of peace" she said in a strong accent. "I give you a cutting of my Grandfather"

"Thank you" the Doctor said sincerely taking the pot plant. He handed it to Rose and began to pat himself. "Now gifts...erm...I give you in return, a hair of ruby red" he plucked a hair out of Donna's head.

"OW!" Donna squawked. She slapped the Doctor's arm. "Give a girl some warning next time and use your own hair"

"What hair?" the Doctor asked as Jabe took the strand of Donna's hair and stared at it in awe.

"A beautiful colour" she admired before strolling away.

"The sponsor of this great event, the Face of Boe" the blue man announced as a large face in a tank filled of smog came rolling in. Donna met his eyes and swore to god he winked at her, was a giant face hitting on her or did he know her in her future? She shook her head as the Mox of Baloo rolled to them and tuned into the conversation just in time to see the blue man spit on Rose's forehead.

"Thank you very much" the Doctor said grinning.

"Ew" Donna muttered pulling out a pack of tissues and handing them to Rose. The Doctor yanked out another strand, this time she didn't yelp but she still winced. Glaring at the Doctor she decided that he'll pay for this very shortly.

The cloaked men handed them a silver metal ball after the Doctor gave them a strand of Donna's hair. Donna was beginning to get very agitated and Rose was looking very, very overwhelmed.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, and Trees and Mantivores. Consider the Earth below, in memory of this dying world we call forth the last Human" the door opened up for what looked like a trampoline with two men in white medical full on body outfits. "the Lady Cassandra O'Brian Delta 17"

Donna's mouth fell open. "My god Michael Jackson can't die!" she yelped. The Doctor groaned in embarrassment while Rose stared in disbelieve.

"Now, now don't stare" Cassandra said smiling. "I know its shocking isn't it? I had my chin taken away completely and look at the difference, look at how thin I am! Thin and dainty, I don't look like a day over two thousand. Moisturise me, moisturise me" the man sprayed her with what looked like water. "Truly I am the last Human"

Rose went off to inspect Cassandra more carefully while the Doctor couldn't stop grinning. "Sure she's not a relative of yours Donna?" he asked. Donna's answer came in the form of a kick in the shins causing the Doctor to grunt.

"My father was a Texan, my mother came from the Arctic desert they were born on the Earth and they were the last to be buried in its soil" Cassandra said in an almost mournful voice. "I have come to honour them and to come and say goodbye" one of the other white medical men pulled out a hankie and wiped away her tears. "I'm ok, no tears, I'm sorry" she said quietly. The doors behind her opened and a blue person walked in carrying a large brown egg. "But behold, I bring gifts from Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg. Legends said it had a wing span of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils...or was that my third husband?" Donna laughed loudly at that. "Oh don't laugh, I'll get laughter lines!" the door opened again and two small blue people came pushing in a 1950's juke box. "And here is another rarity according to the archives this was called an I-Pod" Donna was leaning on the Doctor laughing her head off while the Doctor stood there with his arms crossed staring at Rose. "It stores classical music of humanities greatest composers, play on!"

Suddenly the sounds of Tainted Love came on and Donna managed to stop laughing only to start again at the sight of the Doctor bobbing along the music.

"Refreshments are served, Earth's death in thirty minutes" the blue announcer said.

Rose then ran.

Before the Doctor and Donna could leave the room to go after her Jabe took what Donna assumed a photo of them, saying thank you before strolling away.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Before they found Rose they saw the blue people push the TARDIS away.

"Oi you be careful with that I don't want any scratches!" the Doctor shouted after them.

"Yeah the TARDIS would kill you" Donna said smirking. A small blue person gave the Doctor a small paper stub and squeaked at him before leaving. Donna peered over the Doctor's shoulder. "HA! You got a parking ticket, try getting out of paying that sunshine"

The Doctor shot Donna a glare before storming off back to the room they were in when they landed.

"Rose are you in there?" he called before walking in, they found her sitting by herself. "Hiya!" he sat himself opposite her while Donna sat on the stairs between them. "So what did you think then?"

"Yeah, great, fun" Rose said trying to sound enthusiastic. "Once you get past the slightly psychic paper" the Doctor chuckled. "They're just so...alien. The aliens are so alien...you look at them and they're alien"

The Doctor looked rather uncomfortable. "Good thing I didn't take you to the deep south" he said.

"Where are you from?" Rose asked.

"All over the place" the Doctor shrugged.

Donna snorted. "Trust me Rose you will not get a straight answer out of him so don't bother"

"They all speak English" Rose said suddenly.

"No, you're hearing English-" Donna suddenly covered the Doctor's mouth with her hand. She knew exactly where this was going, having the same argument with him, accusing him of using his ship to manipulate her to come with him, slapping him. There was no way she was letting this happen all over again, not if Rose argued like her, the Doctor would be dead within five minutes if she did.

"Doctor can you leave me and Rose to talk on our own?" she asked sweetly.

"What? Why? What's wrong?" the Doctor asked looking mildly concerned.

"Human girl things Doctor, you wouldn't understand" Donna said calmly.

"Oh come off it I'm over nine hundred I can handle a tampon conversation though this is completely the wrong time to have one" the Doctor said scowling.

Donna stood up and grabbed him by the ear, she dragged him to the door, pressed on the button to open it and threw him out. Throughout this the Doctor kept moaning in pain, Rose couldn't help but giggle slightly.

Donna sighed. "He'll be out there sulking now just you wait. Do you have your phone on you?" Rose nodded and held it out to her. Donna snatched it up and opened the door again passing it to the Doctor. "Do some jiggery pokery with this if you're going to sulk. Can't have Rose not having an contact with us in case she gets separated"

She closed the door shut firmly before the Doctor could retort.

"Jiggery pokery?" Rose asked raising an eyebrow.

"Basically he makes your phone into a super phone so you can talk to anyone, any time, anywhere" Donna explained plonking herself next to Rose. "I almost freaked at first, thinking he was going to make it blow up or something." She grinned before sighing. "Listen Rose don't accuse him of manipulating you with his ship because it ain't like that. All the TARDIS does is translate everything for you"

"What?"

"She's not reading your mind, she doesn't invade people's privacy like that. It's just simple telepathy" Donna said hurriedly. "Your thoughts are safe"

Rose stared at Donna thoughtfully before nodding. "It's all right, I trust you" she said smiling up at Donna.

The Doctor popped his head back in and held the phone out. "Done" Donna snatched it up and passed it to Rose.

"Call you Mum" she advised the younger woman. "That's what I do when it gets overwhelming...well not my Mum but my Granddad"

"Thank you" Rose said to both Donna and the Doctor before calling her mother. After a short, brief conversation she hung up with a look of wonder on her face.

"If you think that's amazing wait till you get the bill" the Doctor said grinning.

"Come on, lets get back to the party" Donna said now beaming. "I want to see if the Face of Boe was actually hitting on me or if it was all a mere coincidence"

"Donna you think any man hi-" the observation deck shuddered interrupting the Doctor's sentence. "That's not supposed to happen" the Doctor said thoughtfully.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor was checking out the gravity satellites when Jabe walked up behind them. both Donna and Rose felt like slapping the woman when she accused them of being concubines, the Doctor had to actually pull Donna's hand down. He introduced Donna as his annoying sister and Rose as a friend before questioning about maintenance Both Donna and Rose voted to stay away to talk to Cassandra.

"Don't start a fight" he warned them.

"I wouldn't!" Rose protested.

"Not you Rose, Donna, she's been known to start a fight with a germ" the Doctor said rolling his eyes and avoiding Donna's glare. "I'm all yours" he told Jabe lending his arm out to her. As the pair began to walk out Donna's voice could be heard.

"I want you home before midnight!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Soon the sun will blossom into a red giant and my home will die" Cassandra said sadly. "That's where I used to live when I was a little boy down there"

"What?" Donna choked out trying not to laugh.

"Mummy and Daddy had a house built in the Los Angeles crevasse" Cassandra carried on ignoring Donna. She sighed. "Oh I had so much fun"

"What happened to everyone else?" Rose asked. "The Human race, where did it go?"

"They say mankind has touched every star in the sky" Cassandra said with a snooty expression on her face.

"So you're not the last Human" Rose said slowly.

"I am the last pure Human" Cassandra corrected getting more and more snooty. "The others mingled. Oh they call themselves New Humans, Digi-Humans, Humaniations but do you know what I call them?" she paused before whispering. "Mongrels"

"My god you're a racist trampoline" Donna blurted out. "A bitchy racist trampoline. You're not human, you're a bit of skin with lipstick on!"

"Excuse me! You have no right to speak to me like that" Cassandra snarled back. "I am Lady Cassandra O'Brian Del-"

"Do I look bothered?" Donna said, hands on her hips, eyebrow raised up. "Because I'm not, I don't even care if you're skinny with no chin because unlike you I can have sex" she then stormed off leaving Rose with the bitchy trampoline.

"Would you like the number of my plastic surgeon dear, you got a bit of chin sticking out" Cassandra said sweetly to Rose, whose reply was to walk away quickly out of the room.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna grumbled under her breath when she tripped over something and landed on her backside.

_As graceful as ever Donna Noble _a voice vibrated through her mind with a chuckle.

"OI! I don't know who you are but that is an invasion of privacy" Donna snapped.

_I'm not reading your thoughts Donna, I'm broadcasting mine there is a difference. _A telepathic sigh. _It's been such a long time since I have seen you like this. _

"Like what?" Donna asked nervously.

_Young, care free and ginger. Such a long time. _

"Who are you?" Donna asked.

_I am the Face of Boe_

"The face in the tank that winked at me? I knew there was something about you! You weren't hitting on me were you, because no offense you're not my type" Donna wrinkled her nose. "I like something to grab hold onto"

_Don't I know it _the Face of Boe laughed. _It was good seeing you Donna, I have missed you so much. _

"But wait how do you know me?" Donna called out ignoring the strange looks she was receiving.

There was no answer.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"The planet's end, come gather, come gather" Cassandra said calling all the alien people round. "Bide farewell to the cradle of civilisation. Let us mourn her with a traditional ballad"

Britney Spears Toxic came on.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me" Donna moaned blocking her ears.

Suddenly Jabe came running in shouting that there was an attack on the platform and that the steward was dead. Everyone panicked when Donna shouted for them to shut up and listen to the tree.

Jabe did a scan and proved that it was the spiders that infiltrated the platform, Cassandra was claiming that was impossible when the Doctor stormed in.

"Where's Rose?" Donna demanded.

"Trapped, if we don't stop this she's going to die" the Doctor said darkly.

"Well why aren't you doing anything!?" Donna shrieked.

"I will" the Doctor promised. "someone brought this little pet onboard" he said holding up the robotic spider.

"I bet this is the Face's fault" Cassandra sniped.

The Face of Boe shook his head and Donna whirled round to face Cassandra. "Leave him alone you trampoline" she snarled before facing the Doctor. "But who though?"

"No idea, lets send it back to its master" he placed the spider on the floor and it crawled up to Cassandra, scanned her and then scuttled towards the Repeated Means family.

"The Imperiance of the Repeated Means!" Cassandra crowed. "shackle them!"

"That's all fair and well, and rather obvious actually" the Doctor said strolling to the Repeated Means. "But if you think about it..." a hand shot out to hit the Doctor but he grabbed hold off of it and yanked it off to show that it was robotic. "But they are just an idea..." he pulled out a wire causing them all to collapse. "Nice little droids to cover up the real troublemaker. Go on Jimbo" he lightly kicked the spider. "Go on"

The spider slowly crawled to Cassandra.

"I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed" Cassandra said spitefully to the Doctor.

Donna snorted. "You aren't half wrong there love" she muttered.

"At arms!" Cassandra ordered her men who held up their moisturising guns up.

"Oh what are you going to do? Moisturise him?" Donna said sarcastically while laughing.

"With acid" Cassandra said causing Donna to stop laughing. "You Doctor ruined everything, but it's all too late now my spiders have infiltrated the main system and you lot all carried them as pretty gifts past the code wall." She tutted. "I'm not just a pretty face"

"Sabotaging a ship while still inside it how stupid is that?" the Doctor said raising an eyebrow.

"Manufacturing a hostage situation, the compensation would be enormous" Cassandra said.

"Five billion years and it still comes down to money" the Doctor said rolling his eyes.

"And plastic surgery" Donna added disgustedly.

"I am the last Human Miss Noble, not you or that little freaky kid of yours" Donna noticed the Doctor's expression darkened when Cassandra insulted Rose. The others began to kick up a fuss. "Oh shut up, I still have my final option" Cassandra snapped.

"Earth's death in three minutes"

"And here it is" Cassandra said happily. "You're all dead and I have shares in your rival companies which will triple the moment you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go?" she paused before saying darkly. "Burn baby burn"

"Well if I'm going down, I'm taking you with me" Donna spat out.

"Oh I'm sorry, I know teleportation is forbidden but I'm such a naughty thing" Cassandra said coyly. "Spiders activate!"

There was several explosions that shook the observation deck. Cassandra left and the Doctor began to plot a plan. He grabbed hold of Donna firmly by the shoulders.

"Listen to me Donna Noble" he growled. "You are going to stay here. Keep an eye out for these people, be that annoying girl who cares and attaches herself to people. I and Jabe will sort this out. I'll save Rose, I promise"

"If you die" Donna hissed. "I will keep my promise, I will murder you"

"Just chill" the Doctor said before walking out with Jabe.

"Just chill" Donna mimicked in a squeaky voice and flapping her hand. The Face of Boe was laughing at her.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Rose walked slowly back in the guest room with her hair in a complete mess and her clothes rumpled. She can see some of those amazingly alien aliens lying dead on the floor and she feels pity, she sees some of them coughing their lungs out and over by the side she can see Donna sitting by a giant face chatting quietly to it, when Donna spotted her she smiled sadly and pulled the blonde into a tight hug.

"I was terrified for you" she admitted. "But the Doctor promised that he'll save you and he did"

Suddenly the Doctor walked past them and talked quietly to the Cheen men, from their sad expressions Donna could guess what happened to Jabe.

"You all right?" Rose asked the Doctor softly.

"Yeah I'm fine" the Doctor said bitterly. "Full of ideas, I'm bristling with them"

Donna watched the Doctor carefully as he brought Cassandra back and yelled at her. She watched in horror as Cassandra began to dry out, she watched in amazement as Rose who would have died because of Cassandra pleaded with the Doctor to save her...he didn't and Cassandra died. Donna had to duck to avoid trampoline guts hit her.

The Doctor strolled away and Rose followed quietly. As Donna began to walk away she heard the Face of Boe speak to her one last time.

_Goodbye Donna, we will see each other again...soon. _

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna watched quietly as Rose cried for their planet...Donna didn't even think about it because people were dying and needed to be saved...she felt tears run down her cheeks but didn't say anything as she watched that beautiful red ball of flames glow. The Doctor took Rose's hand and tugged at Donna's elbow leading them to the TARDIS.

He took them to their present time. He told them how this wasn't going to last forever, he then proceeded to tell Rose about how his planet is gone.

"I am a Time Lord, I am the last of the Time Lords. My people...they're all gone. I'm the only survivor, I travel alone because there's no one else left"

"There's me and Donna" Rose reminded him quietly. "Donna refuses to leave your side"

The Doctor smiled softly at her. "You seen how dangerous it is...do you want to go home?" he asked Rose.

"I don't know...I want..." she sniffed. "Oh can you smell chips?"

The Doctor and Donna laughed.

"yeah, yeah" the Doctor grinned goofily.

"I want chips" Rose said seriously.

"Me too!" the Doctor said.

"Me as well" Donna added not letting herself be pushed to the side like she did a moment ago.

"Well then before you two drag me back in that box we'll get chips, you can pay Doctor" Rose said.

"No money" the Doctor shrugged.

"What sort of date are you?" Rose asked. "Dragging your sister along, not paying, come along tight wad chips on me, only got five billion years till the shops close"

The Doctor and Rose grinned at each other and Rose looped her arm through the Doctor's and rested her head against his shoulder occasionally. Donna slipped her arm through the Doctor's other arm and leaned into whisper in his ear.

"You soooooooooo fancy her"

The Doctor's glare was priceless.


	4. The Unquiet Dead

The TARDIS shook as the Doctor tried to navigate it. "Hold that one down, I told you before Donna!" the Doctor shouted.

"I'm holding this one down, get Rose to do it!" Donna yelled back.

"She's our guest, I promised her a time machine and that's what she's getting now hold it down!" the Doctor argued loudly. Donna rolled her eyes and leaned over holding the other button down.

"So where are we going?" Rose asked while clinging tightly to the rails.

"Well we've been to the future so I thought we would go to the past. How about 1860?" the Doctor said grinning.

"What happens in 1860?" Rose and Donna asked in unison.

"Don't know lets find out" the Doctor said winking; he then pulled a lever down causing them to fall to the floor just as the TARDIS landed.

Rose, Donna and the Doctor laughed as they found themselves tangled up.

"Blimey!" Rose said.

"Ow I think I bruised my back" Donna moaned rubbing her lower back as they got up.

"You're all right?" the Doctor asked Rose.

"Yeah, nothing broken. So where are we then?"

"I did it! Earth, Naples, 24th December1860. Give a man a medal" the Doctor said smugly as he crossed his arms.

"I rather wait till we get outside and see if we actually have landed in Naples instead of oh say Cardiff" Donna teased.

The Doctor glared at her as he told Rose to go out and check what's outside. Rose ended up just going into a ramble about how the Doctor could see days that were long gone dead and she can see why he never stays still. Donna just rolled her eyes, it was plain obvious the man had wander lust as fascinating as he sees things he just can't stay still not because he wants to go everywhere.

"Not a bad life" the Doctor said smiling.

"Better with three" Rose said slyly. The Doctor grinned and Donna couldn't help but beam. "Come on then!" Rose ran down the ramp.

"Oi where do you think you're going?" the Doctor shouted after her.

"1860" Rose replied cheekily.

"Not dressed like that, you'll start a riot Barbra-Ella" the Doctor said. "There's a wardrobe out there, first ri-"

"I think I'll show her" Donna interrupted. "Your instructions will only get the poor girl lost" she took Rose's hand and began to pull her away. "Come on sweetheart just wait and see what's in there, honestly the amount of dresses in there makes me wonder if he's a secret transvestite"

"OI!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna shut the door carefully and pressed a finger against her lips to Rose to show her to be silent, she then pointed to the floor to tell her that's where the Doctor was and crept as quietly as she could without tripping over the hem of her bright blue silk gown. Rose followed quietly.

The Doctor looked up and raised an eyebrow at Donna's outfit, it was an off shoulder bright blue silk gown that brought out her eyes and made her hair look even brighter, with a matching navy blue velvet cloak and her red hair pulled back in an elegant bun.

"You look nice" he said gruffly.

"Thanks, what do you think about Rose?" Donna asked pulling the younger girl in front of her who was wearing a black and dusty pink off shoulder gown with a matching black cape and her hair done in a more elaborate style than Donna's. It was obvious that Donna spent more time on Rose than herself.

"Blimey" the Doctor breathed. Donna bit her tongue to stop the snarky comment from coming out as Rose blushed and giggled.

"Don't laugh" Rose warned him.

"You look beautiful" the Doctor said sincerely and Donna began to think there was hope for him after all. Rose smiled and the Doctor suddenly turned his head away. "Considering" he muttered.

Donna glared; the idiot had to ruin this didn't he? "Considering what?" she asked darkly. "I think Rose looks beautiful no matter what"

"Well she's human!" the Doctor argued.

Donna smacked the back of his head. "Aren't you going to change Space-Man. Come on I like to see you in Victorian garb"

"I changed my jumper" the Doctor snapped plucking at the emerald green that replaced the maroon one he wore earlier. "Come on" he said getting up.

"You stay there" Rose said running down the ramp. "You done this before it's my turn" she then opened the door. She slowly stepped out enjoying the sound of snow crunching beneath her boot. Donna and the Doctor followed and Donna gasped quietly in awe.

"Ready for this?" the Doctor asked Rose offering her an arm which Rose accepted. "Off we go. History!" the two began to walk off when Donna coughed loudly.

"What am I chopped liver?" she asked causing the Doctor to roll his eyes and offer his other arm to her which she accepted.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They turned onto a street that looked like it had come directly out of a Christmas Carol set. Rose looked amazed and Donna was too busy shivering to care while the Doctor ran off excitedly after the newspaper seller and picked a news paper up.

"I got the flight wrong" the Doctor admitted looking annoyed with himself.

"I don't care" Rose said.

"It's not 1860 its 1869" the Doctor said.

"I don't care" Rose repeated.

"As long as we haven't landed in Cardiff" Donna said calmly.

"We're not in Naples" the Doctor continued slowly, shuffling away from Donna.

"I don't care" Rose said again.

Donna however looked like she cared very much. "Oh no, please no, please tell me we're not in Cardiff"

"We're not in Cardiff" the Doctor lied.

"So where are we?" Rose asked.

"I don't know Donna told me not to tell her" the Doctor said.

Donna whacked him in the arm. "Don't get clever with me in Welsh Space-Man"

They carried on walking when they heard a screams coming from a theatre the Doctor grinned. "That's more like it" he said throwing the newspaper over his shoulder.

"Should have known we would end up saving the world" Donna muttered darkly. Running side by side with Rose as the Doctor ran ahead.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They struggled to enter the theatre since everyone was running the other way. Rose spotted the poor old woman that had the gas like creature (which was screaming in a high pitched voice) collapse and being taken by an old man and a young woman. She ran after them with the Doctor yelling after her to be careful. The man on the stage looked angry with the Doctor and yelled at him. The Doctor ignored what he said and jumped onto the stage, helping Donna up.

"I'm the Doctor by the way and this is Donna" he introduced them.

"A doctor really, you look like a navy" the man said snottily.

"What's wrong with this jumper?" the Doctor asked plucking his jumper.

"Too many things, far too many things" Donna said shaking her head. They watched in silence as the creature went into the gas lamp and disappeared.

"Gas" the Doctor said looking amazed. "It's made of gas"

"Come on then lets find Rose and see if she got that old lady back. We could check her out to see if there's something about her to make a gas creature possess her" Donna said taking charge and pulling the Doctor along.

The man followed them.

They exited the theatre in time to see Rose being put into a hearse and the hearse riding off.

"ROSE!" the Doctor shouted running after them.

"You're not getting away from me sir" the man shouted. "What do you do that, hmm? Gas projected on glass?"

"Yeah not right now mate, we got bigger problems" Donna said as the Doctor pulled her into a carriage telling the driver to go after the hearse.

"No you can't do that!" the man ordered them.

"Why not?" the Doctor asked.

"I tell you why not because its my coach!" the man shouted.

"Well come in then" the Doctor said exasperated, pulling the man in as Donna plonked herself opposite them. "Move!" the coach moved slowly. "Come on you're losing them!"

"Everything all right Mr Dickens?" the driver shouted.

"No it is not!" the man exploded.

"What did he say?" the Doctor asked.

"Look I'm not in the mood for humour" Dickens growled looking even more annoyed.

"Dickens" the Doctor said slowly. "As in Charles Dickens?"

"Yes!"

"THE Charles Dickens" the Doctor said excitedly.

Donna groaned. "Oh god here comes the Fan-Boy" she muttered as the Doctor began a rant about how brilliant Charles Dickens was. Charles and the Doctor began a conversation about Charles Dickens's work and the Doctor's mix of flattery and criticisms. She turned round to face the driver. "DRIVE FASTER!" she shrieked making the two men jump. "Those two are driving me nuts!"

When the Doctor told Charles that Rose was in the hearse and she was nineteen he got the driver to drive faster and for once the driver obeyed.

"Good show Charlie" Donna said.

"No one calls me Charlie" Charles said stiffly.

"The ladies do" the Doctor said grinning cheekily.

"How did you know that?"

"I told you I'm your-"

"Number one fan" Charles and Donna finished dully both annoyed and irritated by the Doctor.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The door was answered by a young maid who was easily intimidated by Charles Dickens, the Doctor pushed past listening to the gas, claiming something was living in it...that was when they heard Rose screaming for help. The three of them, the maid following, ran pas the owner and the Doctor kicked the door open to find two zombies holding on to Rose.

"I think this is my dance" he said pulling Rose out of the zombies' arms. Charles kept claiming that it was a trick. "No they're not, the dead are walking" the Doctor corrected him before turning to Rose and giving her a quick "Hi".

"Hi" Rose gasped. "Whose your friend? Has Donna picked up a boyfriend?"

"Charles Dickens and I like to think the man has more taste to ask Donna out"

"OI!" Donna flicked one of the Doctor's ears.

"Ow!" he yelped before looking to the zombies with a serious face. "I'm the Doctor, who are you?" he asked. "What do you want?"

"Open the rift, we're dying, we can't escape, help us" they said in unison with a high voice they then held their heads back and screamed as two gas like creatures shot out back into the gas lamp and the bodies dropped to the floor.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"First you drugged me, then you kidnapped me and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wonder, you dirty old man!" Rose shouted at the owner of the funeral parlour.

"HE DID WHAT?!" Donna screeched going into overprotective mode over Rose and turning round to slap Sneed. The loud crack of her palm hitting his cheek made the maid jump. "She's only nineteen you dirty perve!"

The Doctor was sniggering; it was nice to see Donna slap someone that wasn't him for a change.

"Then he leaves me in a room filled with zombies and swans off!" Rose shouted. "Well go on then tell us what the hell is happening!"

"It's not my fault!" Sneed shouted. "It's this house! It has a reputation, haunted. But I never had much bother until about three months back...the...the erm...dearly departed started to get restless"

"Tommy rod" Charles Dickens snorted taking a sip of his tea.

"You witnessed it!" Sneed protested. "Can't keep the buggers down sir. They walk and it's the queerest thing because they hold on to scraps of their life. Like the woman that went to your show"

While Sneed had been speaking the maid handed the Doctor a cup telling him it was just how he liked it. He was surprised that she knew...did Donna or Rose tell her before?

"Morbid fantasy!" Charles snapped getting up.

"Oh Charles you were there" the Doctor said rolling his eyes.

"I saw nothing but an illusion"

"You wouldn't know the real thing if it danced butt naked before you" Donna grumbled.

"If you're going to deny it don't waste my time and just shut up" the Doctor snapped before anyone from this time period could scold Donna for her language. "What about the gas?" he asked Sneed.

"Oh no, that's new sir" Sneed bumbled. "We never seen anything like that"

"That means the rift is getting stronger and wider and something is sneaky through" the Doctor said knowledgably.

"What's the rift?" Rose asked.

"A weak point in time and space. A connection between this place and another. It's the cause of ghost stories most of the time" the Doctor explained.

"That's how I got the house so cheap" Sneed said as Charles stormed out of the room. "Stories going back generations. Echoes in the dark, queer songs in the air and this feeling of a shadow passing over your soul. Mind you, truth be told it's been good for business just what people expect from a gloomy trade like me"

Donna couldn't help but let out a laugh.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Gwyneth walked in the small cramped room to find Rose and Donna doing the washing up.

"Please Misses leave that" she said quickly.

"Don't be daft that Mr Sneed must be working you to the bone. You sit down and put your feet up" Donna said dismissively.

"How much do you get paid?" Rose asked.

"Eight pounds a year Miss" Gwyneth replied politely.

"How much?" Rose said shocked at how little Gwyneth was getting.

"I know, I would have been happy with just six" Gwyneth said gently pushing Donna out of the way only to have Donna firmly sit her down on a stool and continue the washing up.

"Tell us about your school Gwyneth" Donna said loudly.

"I went every Sunday, nice and proper" Gwyneth said proudly.

"What once a week?" Rose said in disbelieve.

"We did sums and everything" Gwyneth said smiling sweetly showing the small gap in her teeth. "To be honest, I hated every second of it" she whispered.

Rose giggled. "Me too"

"Don't tell anyone but one week...I didn't go and ran on the heath all on my own" Gwyneth said giggling.

"Well I did that as well. I went round the shops with my mate Shareen and we used to go and look at boys" Gwyneth stopped giggling.

"Well I don't know much about that Miss"

"Blimey did everyone have rulers shoved up where the sun doesn't shine?" Donna mumbled under her breath.

"Come on, times haven't changed that much!" Rose protested. "I bet you done the same"

"I don't think so Miss" Gwyneth said ducking her head to cover up her blush.

"Gwyneth you can tell me" Rose said reassuringly. "I bet you got your eye on someone"

"Well I suppose there is one lad" Gwyneth admitted. "Butchers boy, he comes by every Tuesday. Such a nice smile on him"

"I like a nice smile" Rose said. "Good smile, nice bum"

"Well I never heard the like!" Gwyneth said looking alarmed.

"I prefer and nice charming man that's got muscles to hold onto and can kiss the life out of me" Donna said calmly.

"Miss!" Gwyneth shrieked in shock.

Rose laughed. "Ask him out, the butchers' boy. Make him a cup of tea or something" Donna advised Gwyneth. "It's a start"

"I swear it is the strangest thing about you two. You got all the clothes, all the breeding but the pair of you talk like some wild thing."

"Maybe we are" Rose said calmly. "Maybe that's a good thing. You need more in your life than Mr Sneed"

"Oh no, that's not fair! He's not so bad old Sneed. We was very kind taking me in because I lost my Mum and Dad to the flu when I was twelve"

"Oh I'm sorry" Rose said sympathetically. Donna gave Gwyneth a comforting squeeze on the shoulder.

"Thank you Misses" Gwyneth said smiling sadly at them. "But I'll be with them again one day. Sitting in paradise, I shall be so blessed. And you never know, maybe your fathers are waiting for you there as well misses"

"Maybe" Rose said wistfully.

"Who told you that my Dad was dead?" Donna asked. "Who told you that Rose's Dad was dead? Because I sure haven't, did the Doctor tell you?"

"My father died years back" Rose murmured.

"But you've been thinking about him more than ever" Gwyneth said knowingly. "You too Miss Noble"

"How did you know" Donna said dropping the dishrag. "I haven't told you my surname."

"Mr Sneed says I think too much I'm so alone down here. I bet you got loads of servants" Gwyneth said changing the subject.

"No, no servants from where I come from" Rose said.

"And you come such a long way" Gwyneth said her voice starting to go flat. "You're from London but I've seen London in drawings and never like that, all those people rushing about, half naked for shame! And the noise, the metal boxes racing past and the birds in the sky...no...No...They're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying and you two...you've flown further than anyone. The things you seen...the darkness...DoctorDonna and the Big Bad Wolf"

She then toppled off of her stool. Rose bent down and helped her back up.

"I'm sorry Miss, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" Gwyneth wept. "I can't help it since I was a little girl. My Mum said I had the sight that I had to hide it!"

"But it's getting stronger...more powerful. Am I right?" the three of them jumped to see the Doctor standing there with his hands in his pockets.

"Give me a heart attack why don't you?" Donna said sarcastically with a hand placed over her chest.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They sat round a table hands linked at first Charles balked at the idea of having a séance saying it was all a hoax. The Doctor insisted on him to stay and the man sulkily sat between Rose and Gwyneth. The Doctor instructed Gwyneth what to do, Gwyneth spoke to them when she suddenly stiffened and whispers could be heard. Charles still thought it was a hoax and Donna was tempted to slap him...or at least cut that pizza slice looking beard. Slowly blue gas surrounded Gwyneth and shapes of life forms formed behind her.

"Bloody hell" Donna said her mouthing dropping open.

"Spirits from the other side" Sneed said in awe.

"Other side of the universe" the Doctor corrected.

"Pity us...pity the Gelf" Gwyneth and the gas said in unison. "There is so little time, help us"

"What do you want us to do?" Donna asked softly.

Apparently they were in the Time War and they had lost their physical forms, they were near extinction and needed Gwyneth to open the rift and make a bridge so they could take over the corpses and live like they used to. Rose was against it at first and Donna agreed whole heartedly, the idea of an alien possessing someone...even if they were dead...it just wasn't right. The Doctor admonished them just before the Gelf pleaded one more time before disappearing and Gwyneth collapsed.

Rose ran to the Welsh girl's side and held her to her chest asking repeatedly if she was all right.

"It's all true...it's all true" Charles said in shock.

"About time you clicked on" Donna said rolling her eyes.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

When Gwyneth woke Donna went into full mothering mode as the Doctor likes to call it while the three men plotted on how to help the Gelf. Rose and the Doctor argued over saving them, Rose still thought it was wrong to let the Gelf have their dead.

Gwyneth shut them up by announcing she was going to do it.

The figured out that the weakest part of the house was the morgue and they set off to place Gwyneth there so they could set the Gelf free.

"I got the creeps" Donna complained.

"I know talk about Bleak House" the Doctor agreed looking around.

"Thing is I know that corpses don't walk around in 1860" Rose said.

"Time is flux, it's constantly changing. So your little world can be re-written like that" he clicked his fingers. "So nothing is safe, remember that nothing"

"Always the melodramatic one" Donna moaned shivering. "Is it me or is the room getting colder?"

"They're coming" Rose said watching the blue gas swirl above them.

"You come to help! Praise the Doctor, praise him!" the Gelf said

"Promise you won't hurt her!" Rose yelled.

"Hurry, there's so little time, pity the Gelf" the Gelf said ignoring Rose.

"I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer, somewhere where you can build proper bodies" the Doctor promised. "This isn't a permanent solution, all right?"

Gwyneth slipped underneath the arch and her body stiffened as she called for the Gelf to come through. Her mouth opened wide and her the blue gas poured out of her mouth and suddenly the leader changed colour, from the light blue to a dark orangey fiery red, it's voice getting deeper.

They had been tricked.

Mr Sneed tried to talk Gwyneth into stopping it but they killed him and took him over as well.

"I think it's gone a little bit wrong" the Doctor said.

"You think?" Donna said her voice dripping in sarcasm.

They were surrounded by the Gelf who were determined to kill them and make more bodies for the Gelf. They stepped back slowly and the Doctor begged Gwyneth to stop but she wasn't responding. Charles Dickens ran out just as the Doctor locked himself, Rose and Donna behind a gate and the Gelf were trying to get to them.

"If I get out of this alive" Donna said. "I'm banning all zombie movies from the cinema room"

"I trusted you, I pitted you" the Doctor spat out to the Gelf, ignoring Donna's comment.

"We don't want your pity! We want to take over the world and make it our own" the Gelf told them.

"Not while I'm alive" the Doctor shouted.

"Don't you dare tempt fate!" Donna shrieked. "If I die in 1869 in Cardiff of all places, in a morgue by killer alien zombies I will kill you!"

"But I can't die" Rose trembled. "I haven't even been born yet, so I can't! It's impossible for me to die...isn't it?"

"I'm sorry" the Doctor said quietly.

"But it's 1869! How can I die now?" Rose cried out.

"Time isn't a straight line it twists into all sorts of shapes. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth and it's all my fault. I brought you here" the Doctor said his eyes pleading Rose to forgive him.

Rose turned her face away from him. "It's not your fault" she said softly. "I wanted to come"

"What about me? I saw the fall of Troy, World War Five, I pushed boxes in the Boston Tea Party and now I'm going to die in a dungeon...in _Cardiff!" _

"Oh boo hoo" Donna retorted. "You're not the only one who's going to die here besides we almost died in World War Five"

"Your fault, you just had to jump in the way-"

"NOT the time to bicker" Rose interrupted. "Besides it's not the idea of death that's scary it's becoming like one of them" she nodded to the Gelf who were making gurgling noises while reaching out for them.

They stood there together in silence when Rose spoke up again.

"We'll go down fighting yeah?"

"Yeah" the Doctor agreed.

"I rather fight to the death than be smothered by a corpse" Donna said shuddering.

"Together" Rose said.

"Yeah" the Doctor entwined his hand into Rose's. "I am so glad I met you"

"Me too" Rose said breathlessly.

"As sweet as this is, this really isn't the time to act lovey dovey" Donna moaned causing the pair to look away from each other, blushes growing deeply.

Suddenly Charles came back announcing they should gas the house out.

"So what we choke to death instead?" Donna said sarcastically.

"These creatures are made of gas" Charles said putting is handkerchief up to his mouth and nose.

"The gas would draw them out of the host's body" the Doctor explained. "Pulls them out like poison from a wound"

The Gelf left the gate and began to surround Charles. The Doctor broke a pipe causing the Gelf to be pulled out immediately. They ran out and begged Gwyneth to stop but she wouldn't believe them.

The Doctor kept persisting when Gwyneth finally admitted she can't send them back but she could hold them. Keep them there. She told them to get out when she pulled out a box of matches. Rose screamed and Donna felt tears roll down her cheeks. The Doctor got Charles and Donna to take Rose out of the house.

They barely made it out when the house exploded.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna had put Rose in a room for a nights rest. The TARDIS had supplied the young girl with pyjamas and funny enough a Christmas Carol to read. Rose gave Donna a hug goodnight before closing the door behind her.

Donna who was already dressed in comfy baggy cotton trousers and a t-shirt, her wet hair dripping down her dressing gown collar as she padded up to the console room to find the Doctor re-reading Oliver Twist. She sat herself down beside him.

"You were jealous" she announced.

"You what?" the Doctor asked eyeing her with caution from the top of his book.

"You were jealous of Charles Dickens when Rose kissed him on the cheek. Don't lie I saw the way you were looking" Donna teased.

"I don't know what you mean" the Doctor said stubbornly.

"Blimey how hard is it for you to admit you fancy someone?" Donna asked "I can admit it straight away, remember the time I told you I fancied whathisname? The good looking king?"

"I don't recall you have thrown yourself at many kings" the Doctor said flatly.

"Are you calling me a whore?" Donna demanded, her hands on her hips.

"No! I was just saying you tell me too much about the men you fancy" the Doctor said quickly.

"Where are we going next?" Donna asked suddenly.

"I'm thinking of taking Rose home. Give her some breathing space and make a decision on whether or not she wants to continue on with us" the Doctor said. "I'll stay here and repair the TARDIS while you can visit your Granddad"

"You can come too you know" Donna offered. "Granddad adores listening to you"

"I don't do domestics" the Doctor said flatly.

"No but you do, do Rose" Donna sad cheekily and left before the Doctor could work out her meaning.


	5. Aliens in London

"How long have I been gone?" Rose asked as she stepped out of the TARDIS, Donna and the Doctor were leaning against with their arms crossed, Rose found it amusing how alike they were yet they bicker constantly.

"About twelve hours" the Doctor said.

Rose laughed. "Right I'll just go and see my Mum" Rose said walking off.

"What are you going to tell her?" Donna asked interestedly.

"I don't know...that I've been the year five billion and back again in twelve hours" Rose said grinning. "Nah I'll just tell her that I've been to Shareen's. See you two later" she gave them a wave before walking away. "Oh don't you two disappear"

"Wouldn't dream of it love" Donna said reassuringly before Rose ran off. The Doctor began to wander round the courtyard, kicking a plastic bag. "Bored all ready without your lady love?" Donna called after him cheekily.

"She's not my..." the Doctor trailed off when he saw a poster. "Donna..."

Donna walked up to the poster and read it, she took a deep breath before turning round and slapping him. "You stupid plonker! How the hell am I going to explain this to Mum? Hell how are we even going to explain it to Rose's Mum?"

The Doctor grabbed hold of Donna's hand and ran towards Rose's flat. They burst into the flat, Donna leaning against the wall panting as the Doctor said to Rose.

"Err...it's not twelve hours it's twelve months. You've been gone a whole year" he gave Rose a nervous grin. "Sorry"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"I thought you were dead! But no you were _travelling. _What the hell does that mean, travelling?" Jackie Tyler shouted. "That's not answer! You ask her, she won't tell me, she says travelling" she said to the policeman sitting in the armchair.

"But that was what I was doing" Rose said quietly.

"With your passport still in the drawer? It's just one lie after another!" Jackie shrieked.

"I mean to phone, I really did it's just...I forgot" Rose finished lamely.

"For a year! You forgot for a year!" Jackie carried on. "And I am left sitting here! I just don't believe you. Why won't you tell me where you've been?"

"Actually it's my fault" the Doctor said shiftily. "I and Donna sort of...employed Rose to be our companion"

"When you say companion, is this a sexual relationship?" the policeman asked calmly.

"WHAT?!" Donna shrieked. "Me and him? Me and him and Rose? How dirty is your mind PC Plod? If you must know me and my brother work for a top, secret company travelling round Britain. Rose is our assistant"

"Really?" Jackie said sceptically. "Because the pair of you waltz in here, all charms and smiles and the next thing I know Rose has disappeared from the face of the Earth! How old are you two? Forty? Forty five? Did you two find her on the internet? Did you go online and pretended to be doctors or something"

"I AM NOT FORTY OR FORTY FIVE!" Donna screeched. "If you must know I'm thirty five, I'm straight as a ruler, that big-eared twat is so sexually repressed that he can't even give himself a wank and none of us have any ulterior motives over Rose. Now do us as favour and shut up Blondie!"

Jackie slapped Donna.

Who slapped Jackie back.

Who slapped Donna again.

Who slapped Jackie even harder.

The Doctor stepped between the two of them to stop them only to get slapped by both of them.

"Bloody hell that hurt" the Doctor gasped clutching both of his cheeks. "Are you two sisters or something?" he kept on moaning as Donna and Jackie looked at each other and began to laugh.

It had seemed Donna had charmed Jackie with her usual slap happy ways.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"I can't tell her" Rose said from her curled up position on the roof. The Doctor was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed besides her while Donna was stretched out like a cat on Rose's other side. "I can't even begin. She's never going to forgive me, how much is a year? Have I missed much?"

"Middy" the Doctor said gruffly.

"You're so useless" Rose muttered.

"Honey I could have told you that!" Donna said grinning.

"Well if it's that much trouble, do the pair of you want to stay here?" the Doctor asked spitefully.

"Nah, I called Granddad, he already made my excuses to Mum, and I'm going over soon" Donna said calmly.

"I don't know" Rose said quietly. "I can't do that to her again"

"Well she's not coming with us" the Doctor informed Rose who began to laugh.

"Shame I liked her" Donna said shrugging.

"I don't do families" the Doctor said. "Also you and Jackie Tyler in the same TARDIS is enough to make me commit suicide. Nine hundred years of time and space and never before have I been slapped by two people at the exact same time. One of them being someone's mother!"

"Your face" Rose sniggered.

"It hurts!" the Doctor moaned clutching one of his cheeks. "I think Donna and Jackie loosened some teeth"

"When you say nine hundred years..." Rose started quietly.

"That's my age" the Doctor said calmly.

"Your nine hundred years old" Rose said.

"Yeah a nightmare to put candles in a cake for" Donna said. "I had to recount three times"

"I told you I didn't need a birthday" the Doctor protested. "Besides we almost died of food poisoning"

"Oh pull the other one, you know I'm a good cook" Donna said glaring at the Doctor. "Besides I was just trying to cheer you up, sitting about in the TARDIS with you moaning and moping was boring as hell. Having a nine hundredth birthday party was fun"

Rose jumped off and walked to the ledge. "Every conversation with you two just goes mental" she said. "There's no one else I can talk to. I've seen things so big and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things...and I'm the only person on Earth that knows they exist"

Suddenly there was a large honking sound and the three of them ducked as a spaceship flew over the roof carrying on flying in the central of London. Crashing into Big Ben before landing in the Thames.

The three of them stood up.

"Oh now that's not fair" Rose said.

The Doctor just laughed before taking Rose's hand and started to run.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They ran down a crowded road that was blocked off by what looked like the army.

"It's blocked off" the Doctor announced.

"Really? I hadn't noticed" Donna said dryly.

"We're miles from the centre, the city must be deadlocked" Rose observed. "The whole of London is closed off"

"I know, I can't believe I'm here to see this, this is fantastic!"

"Did you know this was going to happen?" Donna asked eyeing the Doctor suspiciously.

"Nope!" the Doctor said grinning like a pillock.

"Do you know what's in the ship?" Rose asked.

"Nope!"

"Or where it crashed?" Donna asked.

"Nope"

"Oh I'm so glad I got you" Rose said sarcastically.

"But this is what I travel for Rose" the Doctor said enthusiastically. "This is history happening right in front of us!"

"Well let's go and see it, no point hanging about" Donna said rolling her eyes. "Let's avoid the traffic and use the TARDIS"

"Better not, already have one spaceship in the centre of London. Don't want to shove another one on top" the Doctor said .

"Yeah but yours look like a big blue box, no one is going to notice" Rose persisted.

"Oh you'd be surprised with this sort of emergency all sorts of people would be watching. Trust me the TARDIS stays where it is"

"So we're stuck here" Donna stated.

"Yes"

"Well I don't know about you two but I think I'll use this opportunity to visit Granddad." Donna said clapping her hands. "Not only can I tell him about all the adventures but we can talk about this as well."

"Will you be able to get there with all of this happening?" Rose asked.

"Sure, trust me Rose the Doctor might know everything but I Donna Noble, temp extraordinaire knows every short cut by foot through London. I'll see you in the TARDIS later"

With a quick hug from Rose and the Doctor, Donna skipped off happily to get to Chiswick, she soooooooooo can't wait to see her Granddad now.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"I told you, didn't I? I told you there were aliens" Wilf boomed to his daughter and her in laws who all came over to chat about the spaceship crashing while watching it on the news. "Soon we'll be getting all sorts of visits"

"Where's Donna?" Georgia (Sylvia's sister in law) asked while ignoring Wilf. "I haven't heard from her over a year. Has she run off with some man?"

"Sort of" Sylvia said sipping her tea with a sour expression. "She got some job that involves travelling. I'm not really clear what it is, she claims that it's top secret. But I reckon she's just skiving"

"Nice to see that you have so much faith in me"

Everyone jumped at the sound of Donna's voice and turned to see the redhead leaning against the door, her house keys swinging in her hand.

"Donna darling, have you seen it! The aliens! You believe it don't you?" Wilf babbled excitedly while taking Donna into a hug and pressing a kiss on her forehead.

"Of course I do, I was almost knocked off the roof by it" Donna said grinning. "No chance of a cuppa is there?"

"I'll get you one" Wilf said leading Donna to a sofa. "Sit down, put your feet up. We'll talk later when the lions have gone" he whispered in her ear. "I want to know everything you've done since you left in that blue box"

"So then are you going to tell us about this new job?" Sylvia asked switching the TV off.

Bugger.

Donna felt incredibly uncomfortable as she tried to work out what to tell her mother.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Managed to get away from the lions then love?" Wilf asked looking amused as Donna stumbled towards the blanket on the top of his favourite hill. Though it was daylight he was keeping watch on the skies in case another spaceship landed.

"Yeah Aunt Georgia remembered that she left the iron on and got a phone call from a neighbour telling her that the fire was put out" Donna said rolling her eyes at her aunt's ditziness, the woman was a foul gossiper who would drop anything just for a good natter. "Got rid off Mum by spouting some lies about being in Eastern Europe where there was no phone line"

"That's my girl!" Wilf said cheerfully ruffling Donna's red curls. "So go on then. Tell me what you've been up to. Last I heard you were making a bomb, nothing to do with the Henricks explosion does it?"

"Well...yes. You remember the mannequins coming alive?" Wilf nodded. "That was living plastic. It was being controlled by something called the Nestene Conscience we found it under the millennium eye and stopped it from taking over the world. We met this girl called Rose, lovely person, I think the Doctor fancies her-"

"What he doesn't fancy you?" Wilf asked. "Hasn't got good taste then if he doesn't know a good thing in front of him"

Donna pulled a face. "God that's disgusting Granddad. I love that man like I would love a brother. Rose is wonderful, I just met her mother and it's like we were twins born in separate decades...like two or three. But anyway Rose has joined us now and we went to the End of the World"

"What 2008?" Wilf asked jokingly. "Not much of an adventure there"

Donna giggled. "It was the year five billion 17/apple/something or the other" Donna shrugged. "We almost got melted by the sun because this homicidal trampoline wanted plastic surgery"

Wilf chortled. "Carry on love"

"Want some more tea first?" Donna offered holding up the flask.

"Yes please love" Wilf said holding his cup out.

Donna had then proceeded to tell him all about her adventure at the End of the World and then told him about meeting Charles Dickens before she knew it, it was getting dark and she said her goodbyes with promises of bringing Rose with her the next time.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

As Donna got towards where the TARDIS should be she saw Jackie, Rose and Rickey...no wait Mickey yelling as the TARDIS materialised. Jackie looking absolutely terrified, she then turned round and asked how it did it. Donna bit her lip to stop laughing and followed them into the TARDIS.

"My Mums' in here" Rose said interrupting the Doctor's rant.

"Oh that's just perfect" the Doctor said sarcastically. "Don't you dare make my life domestic!"

"You ruined my life, Doctor" Mickey burst out. "They thought she was dead, I was a murder suspect because of you"

"Too late for no domestics this is becoming a soap opera" Donna muttered. "Shall I put the kettle on?" she asked loudly.

"See what I mean? Domestics!" the Doctor said ignoring Donna.

"I bet you don't even remember my name" Mickey said. "You and the ginger"

"OI! Who're you calling ginger?" Donna shouted.

"Rickey" the Doctor said.

"It's Mickey"

"No it's Rickey" the Doctor said looking smug.

"I think I would know my own name"

"You think you know your own name. How stupid are you?" Donna asked raising an eyebrow. She then spotted Jackie running off, Rose ran off but not after telling Mickey off. "Poor love probably couldn't handle it" Donna muttered.

Rose came running back in and they began to discuss what the aliens are up to. Donna watching Mickey with suspicion.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna really, really, really wanted to slap Mickey. If he wasn't sulking about the Doctor and her, he was being clingy to Rose asking if she missed him and all that rubbish, bit like a corny romance that makes Donna want to puke. Doesn't Rose know that Mickey isn't good enough for her? Doesn't Rose realise that the only man good enough for her was going to be the Doctor? Donna spotted that a mile away from the second time she met the girl.

Also the Doctor and Rose has a nice ring to it.

Donna was glad that the Doctor interrupted them before Mickey could kiss Rose, she wasn't sure how to do it without pushing Mickey and looking childish. Donna was beginning to wonder if she had gone all maternal over Rose and decided against it...if she loved Rose like a mother would she wouldn't be encouraging Rose and the Doctor to get together.

The Doctor showed them that the spaceship was actually sling shotted from the Earth and that meant that the aliens had been there for a while. The Doctor then started to flick through the channels.

"How many channels do you get?" Mickey asked.

"All the basic packages." The Doctor said crossing his arms.

"You get the sport channels?" Mickey asked excitedly.

"Yes he gets the football" Donna said rolling her eyes. "Not that it interests him much. Which I thank every deity for"

The news reporter said about the government bringing in alien experts and the Doctor called them UNIT. Apparently he worked for them and Mickey went on a rant about how he read up on him. The Doctor decided that it was best to leave the TARDIS here otherwise the fake aliens would go a bit nuts.

"Rickey can drive us" Donna said happily. "Come on Rickey" she said grabbing hold of Rose by the wrist and run down the ramp.

"Great the ginger is now calling me Rickey" Mickey grumbled.

Just as they stepped out they got surrounded by the police, the army and UNIT. Mickey legged it much to Donna's disgust and Jackie ran out screaming Rose's name.

"Take me to your leader" the Doctor shouted at the helicopter.

"Oh you just had to say that didn't you" Donna said rolling her eyes as they were led to a posh car with lovely leather seats. "Nice first time I've been arrested in a nice car."

"I know!" Rose said wiggling between Donna and the Doctor. "If I knew it would have been like this I would have gotten myself arrested years ago"

"Eh it's not that glamorous" Donna said dismissively.

"We're not being arrested we're being escorted!" the Doctor corrected them.

"Where to?" Rose and Donna asked.

"Where d'you think?" the Doctor asked. "Downing street" he laughed.

"You're kidding me" Donna said. "Me, Donna Noble at Downing Street...every temp's dream that is"

"I can't believe I'm going to number 10 Downing Street...how come?" Rose said grinning insanely.

"I hate to say this but Mickey's right, I've visited this planet a lot over the years and I've been...noticed."

"And now they need you" Rose said slowly.

"Like they said on the news, they needed alien experts and who has the most knowledge?" the Doctor asked grinning smugly.

"My Granddad, now wipe that smug grin off your face before I slap it off" Donna said.

The Doctor immediately sobered. "Who's the Prime Minister now?" he asked changing the subject.

"How should we know, we missed a year" Rose pointed out.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Both Donna and Rose were forbidden to go in, the Doctor argued but the PA insisted. A woman in a pink suit jacket and black skirt offered to take care of them as the Doctor slipped away. She introduced herself as Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North, she ended up sobbing into Donna's shoulder as she told them about the aliens and how they killed someone just to take his skin. Donna comforted the woman and got her to take them to the conference room she witnessed it all happening. The PA found them and yelled at them when the Prime Minister's body fell out of the cupboard.

They were cornered by a chubby woman in her fifties, probably sixties who admitted pretty much everything before unzipping her forehead and revealing the clichéd green, bugged eyed alien, which immediately killed the PA before turning to the three women.

"Oh bugger me" Donna said.


	6. World War Three

**Previously:**

_They were cornered by a chubby woman in her fifties, probably sixties who admitted pretty much everything before unzipping her forehead and revealing the clichéd green, bugged eyed alien, which immediately killed the PA before turning to the three women._

"_Oh bugger me" Donna said. _

Suddenly before their eyes the clichéd green bugged eyed alien began to shake as the blue light of electricity covered it. It gave a high pitched scream and Donna grabbed hold of Harriet Jones and pulled her along as she and Rose ran out of the room.

"Come on Miss High and Mighty get a move on, we haven't got time!" Donna shouted as Harriet stumbled along.

They got round the corner when Harriet began to pull away. "The emergency protocols we still need them" she shouted running back towards the room.

"Screw the protocols, we're about to be eaten or worse slimed by an evil clichéd green bugged eyed alien!" Donna shrieked as the said alien thundered down the corridor. Harriet let out a scream and they began to run again.

No door could delay the alien, it slammed it to it and broke it immediately, as Rose and Donna were trying to open a locked room the door lift opened and the alien screeched. Harriet tapped Donna on the shoulder and pointed at someone who was standing in the lift with a goofy grin.

"Hello" the Doctor said using the sonic screwdriver to close the door, distracting the alien as the other three slipped into a bedroom.

"I'm going to kill that man when I see him" Donna hissed. "There's no need for pleasantries when the alien is about to kill you".

"Just hide!" Rose squeaked throwing herself near the bed. Harriet pulled Donna behind the screen with her and they held each other's hands tightly hoping they won't be found.

The door opened slowly as the alien giggled. "Oh this is such fun" it purred. "Little human children, where are you" it called out in a sing song voice. "It's all right kiddie winkles, let me kiss you better, let me kiss you with my big, green lips"

Rose managed to slip behind the curtain and Donna was trying hard not to lose her lunch.

"My brothers" the alien purred as the doors opened and another one that looked exactly the same came in.

"Happy hunting?" he asked.

"It's wonderful, the more you prolong it, the more they stink" the female alien said. Donna looked furious and stepped up to shout or slap the alien when Harriet pulled her back in.

"Their sweat, their fear" one of the males agreed. "I can smell an old girl, her stale perfumed bones"

Harriet now looked as furious as Donna.

"I can smell a young, feisty, spicy girl. So full of fire" the other male said licking his lips.

"I can smell a younger girl, all full of hormones, fresh enough to scare before she slips" the female pulled the curtain back to reveal Rose and lifted a claw up to kill her.

"NO!" Harriet screamed stepping out. "TAKE ME FIRST, TAKE ME FIRST!"

"ROSE!" Donna screeched. She decided at that moment that she'll vote for Harriet Jones for anything from now on. Just then the Doctor ran in holding a fire extinguisher and he sprayed it in the males' faces.

Rose pulled down the curtain over the female before running to the Doctor's side. "You took your time!" Donna shouted joining the Doctor's other side with Harriet.

"Yeah a bit of trouble where I'm accused of killing everyone" the Doctor shrugged. He then noticed Harriet Jones. "Who the hell are you?" he asked.

"Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North" she introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you" the Doctor said.

"Likewise"

"Yeah pleasantries later, big green bug eyed aliens now!" Donna shouted grabbing the fire extinguisher from the Doctor and spraying it in the aliens face.

The four of them then ran.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They ran back to the conference room as quickly as they could, the aliens hot on their heels. Harriet had easily won the Doctor's respect and vies versa. As the aliens got to the door of the room the Doctor held up a bottle of brandy and his sonic screwdriver to it.

"One more step and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol and boom we all go up, so back off!" the Doctor said.

"What is it with you and blowing things up!" Donna complained. "Go shopping, blow the shop up, watch a planet blow up, go to Cardiff and blow up a house, now we're in 10 Downing Street and you want to blow that up as well?"

"I don't think now is the right time to lecture him dear" Harriet said.

"No trust me Harry – I can call you Harry can't I? I think it suits you – he always does this" Donna said sighing.

"You can't call me Harry, Harriet is just fine" Harriet said glaring.

"Not now!" the Doctor shouted before lowering the bottle. "Right then question time, who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens" Harriet said.

"Nah really, here's me thinking they were friendly oversized dogs" Donna retorted.

"Donna not now" Rose said softly gripping onto the redhead's wrist in case she slapped Harriet.

"Who are you if you're not human?" one of the male Slitheens asked.

"Who's not human?" Harriet asked.

"He's not human" Rose said.

"He's not human?" Harriet repeated looking shocked.

"No of course he's human, can't you tell by the big ears?" Donna asked smirking.

"Can I have a bit of hush?" the Doctor snapped.

"Sorry" Harriet and Donna mumbled. "But he's got a northern accent" Harriet whispered to Donna.

"Yeah apparently lots of planets got a north" Donna muttered back.

"I said hush" the Doctor reminded them. "Come on, you got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea, you murdered your way up to the top of the government. What for? Invasion?"

"Why would we want to invade this godforsaken rock?" another one of the male Slitheens asked sounding disgusted.

"Well something got the bloody Slitheen race here, what is it?" Donna demanded.

"The Slitheen race? Slitheen is not our species, Slitheen is our surname Joe Christophe Davey Pasameer-Day Slitheen at your service" the male Slitheen said.

"So you're family" the Doctor stated with a false grin.

"Talk about family day out" Donna muttered. "Kill a few government officials, blow up a planet...in fact are you sure they're not related to you Doctor?"

"This is business" the Slitheen said.

"They're out to make a profit" the Doctor said ignoring Donna. "Out of this godforsaken rock"

"Erm, excuse me, you device would do what? Triplicate the flammability?" the Slitheen said.

"That's what I said" the Doctor nodded.

"You're making it up" the Slitheen accused.

"Oh well, nice try" the Doctor said.

"WHAT?!" Donna screeched.

"Harriet have a drink and then pass it to Donna, she's going to need it – actually no I will Donna is more tolerable when drunk" the Doctor said passing the bottle back to Harriet.

"You pass it to the left first" Harriet told him.

"Ah right sorry" the Doctor passed it to Rose.

"I think we shall start with a slaughter" the Slitheen said.

"Don't you think we should run?" Rose asked backing away with Donna and Harriet.

"Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago this was marshland. 1730 it was occupied by a Mr Chicken" the Doctor snickered. "He was a nice man. 1796 this was the Cabinet room, if the Cabiners were in session and in danger these have to be the four safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson" the Doctor pressed a button causing metal shutters covering the windows and door. "Installed in 1991, three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in"

"And how do we get out?" Rose asked.

The Doctor's grin feel. "Ah"

"Give me that" Donna snatched up the whiskey bottle from Rose's hands. "Looks like I'm going to need it after all" she pulled the lid off and took a swig.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"What was his name?" the Doctor asked dragging the PA's body into the cupboard.

"Who?" Harriet asked absently as she read through the protocols.

"This one, the sec whatever he was called" the Doctor said lying the man down gently as Harriet walked to the cupboard and looked in.

"I don't know. I talked to him, I brought him a cup of coffee but I never asked him his name" she said sadly walking back to the table.

"Shame that" Donna muttered watching the Doctor and Rose look for another way out. "What I don't get is if they killed the Prime Minister, why not use him as a disguise?"

"He's a slim man and they're great big beasts. They needed fat humans to hide in" the Doctor explained.

"But the Slitheen are like eight feet how do they fit inside?" Rose asked.

"That's the device round their necks. Compression field squishes them down a bit, that's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange"

"Wish I had a compression field and fit a size smaller" Donna muttered.

"Excuse me, people are dead, this is not the time to be making jokes" Harriet admonished Donna.

"Oh pull the other one Harry" Donna grumbled.

"Harriet" Harriet corrected through gritted teeth.

"Ignore her, you get used to this kind of morbid humour when you're friends with the Doctor" Rose said in an apologetic tone.

"Well that's a strange friendship" Harriet commented.

"Harriet Jones" the Doctor said thoughtfully. "I heard that name before, Harriet Jones. You're not famous or anything are you?"

Harriet laughed. "Hardly"

"Harriet Jones" the Doctor said wonderingly.

"I've been on the back bench for years now and fat lot of use that is. I've been through these protocols and there's nothing. It lists the people who can help and they're all dead downstairs"

"Hasn't it got any defence codes or anything?" Rose asked. "Can't we just launch a nuclear bomb at them?"

"You're a very violent young woman" Harriet said frowning.

"Not as violent as Donna" the Doctor called out.

"Watch it!" Donna growled.

"I'm serious, we could!" Rose protested.

"Well there's nothing like that in here" Harriet said. "Nuclear strikes do need a release code yes but it's kept secret by the United Nations"

"Say that again" the Doctor ordered.

"What about the codes?" Harriet asked.

"Anything" the Doctor said.

"Oh, well the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without special grant from the UN" Harriet said.

"Like that ever stopped them" Donna snorted.

"Exactly!" Harriet agreed. "Given our past record and I voted against that thank you very much. The codes have been taken out of the governments hands and into the UN, is it important?"

"Everything is important to him" Donna nodded to the Doctor who was in thought.

"If only we knew what the Slitheen wanted" Harriet muttered. "Listen to me, I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal"

"What are they anyway?" Rose asked.

"Well they're family, they don't want to invade, so no Slitheen world. So they want to sell something" the Doctor said.

"Like what, gold? Oil? Water?" Harriet asked.

"You're very good at this" the Doctor complemented.

"Isn't she just? I like her" Donna chipped in.

"Thank you" Harriet blushed.

"Harriet Jones, why do I know that name?" the Doctor asked.

Rose's phone beeped. "It's Mickey" she muttered.

"Yeah tell your stupid boyfriend to call you later" the Doctor muttered.

"Yeah turns out he's not that stupid after all" Rose said holding her phone out to show a picture of the Slitheen.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Rose phoned Mickey and found him and her mother safe in his flat. The Doctor grudgely admitted he needed Mickey's help and Donna really wished she had a computer or laptop with internet access so her life was in Rickey the Idiot's hands, after all she could hack into anything within five minutes. The Doctor instructed Mickey through speaker phone on what to do while insulting the boy as Jackie kept pestering to know what was going on and whether Rose was safe or not. Mickey found a signal coming from the ship in the North Sea when the doorbell rang...the Slitheen had found Jackie.

"There's got to be something to stop them, you're the expert think of something!" Harriet shrieked at the Doctor.

"I'm trying" the Doctor said through gritted teeth.

They heard Mickey tell Jackie to run.

"That's my mother" Rose said tearfully. Donna pulled her into a one armed embrace.

"Right then we need to work out their weakness" the Doctor said pacing round the room. "So judging by the shape and size that narrows it down to over five thousand planets within travelling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!"

"They're green!" Rose burst out.

"Yep that narrows it down" the Doctor said.

"Good sense of smell" Harriet said.

"Narrows it down"

"They can smell adrenaline" Rose remembered.

"Narrows it down"

"Neck technology" Harriet shouted.

"Narrows it down"

"The engine of the ship, you said stripling" Donna pointed out.

"Narrows it down"

"They hunt like it's a ritual" Rose said.

"Narrows it down"

"Their farts smelt weird bit like bad breath" Donna said scrunching her nose up in disgust.

"Calcium decant, now that narrows it down" the Doctor shouted giving Donna a quick one armed hug.

"We're getting there Mum" Rose shouted.

"Too late!" Mickey shouted back.

"Calcium decant, fossil calcium, creatures made from living calcium that leaves only one planet." The Doctor babbled. "Raxacoricofallapatorius!"

"Oh great, yeah we can write them a letter" Mickey said sarcastically.

"I'm with the idiot on this one" Donna said pointing to the phone. "What should they do?"

"Get into the kitchen" the Doctor ordered. Sounds of Jackie screaming, a Slitheen shrieking and the wood of a door breaking could be heard.

"Calcium, compression field, citric acid! Find vinegar" the Doctor said.

"Just like Hannibal!" Harriet and Donna cried out.

"Just like Hannibal. Mickey got any vinegar?" the Doctor called out.

"How should I know?" Mickey shouted.

"It's your kitchen numb skull!" Donna shrieked.

Jackie took control and went through the cupboards, shouting out some disgusting vinegary stuff and that caused Donna to wrinkle her nose in disgust. The Doctor shared the same sentiment when he asked Rose if she kissed this man. A loud farting noise could be heard before the screeching Slitheen exploded. Everyone in the Cabinet room sighed in relieve.

They then all took a drink...Donna's fifth one.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

From Rose's phone they heard the Slitheen in their human disguise announce on to cameramen that there's a spaceship directly up above the United Kingdom and it's up to the UN to send them the nuclear missiles to fight otherwise it would be death for Earth. After confronting the Slitheens the Doctor worked out that the Slitheens wanted to reduce the planet to rocks and sell piece by piece...making a profit.

The Doctor had a plan, he had one since the moment they had been locked in the room but he wasn't going to use it.

"Do it" Rose insisted.

"You don't even know what it is" the Doctor said. "And you would just let me...?"

"Yeah"

"Please Doctor, please she's my daughter, she's just a kid" Jackie pleaded.

"Oh Jackie" Donna said quietly moving to the phone. "Rose is nineteen. It's time she grew up and made her own decisions. This life of the Doctor's isn't fun, it's hard work and all about taking a stand and making a difference. Though I don't know what the Doctor is waiting for"

The Doctor looked up at met Rose's eye. "I could save the world but lose you" he said quietly.

"Told you he fancied her but now I'm starting to think he's fallen in love" Donna muttered to Harriet hinting at one of the many conversations the two had going over the protocols while Rose and the Doctor were rushing about looking for a way out. Harriet walked up to the Doctor.

"It is not the Doctor's decision it is mine" she said firmly.

"Who the hell are you?" Jackie demanded.

"Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North. The only elective in this room chosen for the people by the people and on the behalf of the people I command you to do it"

The Doctor slowly grinned at Rose.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor gave Mickey instructions on how to hack into the royal navy and what missile to send over. Jackie kept saying she could stop Mickey but from what Donna could tell she was too scared to do anything.

"Mickey the Idiot, the world is in your hands" the Doctor told him.

"God we are that desperate aren't we?" Donna said rubbing the Goosebumps on her arms.

"Fire" the Doctor ordered Mickey ignoring Donna.

"How solid are these?" Harriet asked pressing her hands against the metal.

"Not solid enough" the Doctor said. "They were made for short range attacks"

"All right now it's my time to make a decision" Donna said. "I am not dying in this room. When this missile hits it'll be like an earthquake yeah?"

"And what do you do when there's an earthquake...you sit in the door frame" Rose said slowly getting what Donna was saying and then running to the cupboard yanking the door open. "This cupboard is small yeah? So that means it'll be strong"

Harriet, Donna and Rose began to clear out the cupboard as the Doctor instructed Mickey on what to do before unplugging Rose's phone and taking it with him. They huddled into the cupboard, Donna between Harriet and the Doctor and Rose on the Doctor's other side.

"Well nice knowing you three" Harriet said calmly.

"If this all goes wrong" Donna said to Rose and the Doctor. "I want to die knowing you two admitted that you fancied each other"

"Is this really the time?" the Doctor hissed between gritted teeth.

"Oh yes, death always makes it a good time" Donna nodded. "Go on then Space-Man!"

The Doctor growled before whispering something in Rose's ear, he then took her hand and Donna's in the other, Harriet clutched tightly to Donna's sleeve just as the missile hit.

The room shook several times and then it turned them upside down a couple times before stopping.

The Doctor kicked open the door and helped them all out. A man in uniform ran up to them.

"Is everything all right? What happened? What's going on?" he asked panicked.

Harriet pulled out her I.D "Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North. I want you to tell the UN that the crisis is over, tell the ambassadors as well and oh the news" the man stood there. "Well go on then!"

"Yes Ma'am" he said running off.

Donna groaned clutching her head. "I feel sick" she complained.

"Well you shouldn't have drank five glasses of brandy before helping to save the world" the Doctor scorned Donna as he held onto her elbow and helped her down the wreckage.

"They got a hell lot of work to do to sort all of this out" Harriet said waving a hand at the wreckage. "Oh lord, we haven't got a Prime Minister!"

"Well maybe you should have a go" the Doctor said.

"Me!" Harriet said laughing. "I'm only a back bencher"

"I'll vote for ya" Rose promised.

"Me too Harriet" Donna said smiling.

"Oh don't be silly" Harriet said beaming. "Look I better go and see if I can help" she climbed down the rest of the wreckage. "Hang on!" she called out. "The Earth is safe! The Earth is safe"

The three of them followed her, Donna clinging to the Doctor slightly as she swayed and they watched Harriet organise everything and tell everyone what was going on.

"I thought I heard her name from somewhere" the Doctor said. "Harriet Jones Prime Minster for three elective terms, the architect of Britain's golden age"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Donna love! Did you hear about 10 Downing Street? I bet it was them aliens!" Wilf boomed down the phone.

Donna groaned. "No Granddad that was me, the Doctor, Rose and Harriet Jones. It was the only way to kill the aliens"

"So I was right, it was them aliens! 'Cause the Doctor is an alien ain't he?" Wilf persisted. "Harriet Jones, don't like the look of her, seems a bit bossy and she's too proud. I don't think I'll vote for her"

"I would" Donna said kicking her shoes off and resting them on the Captain's chair ignoring the Doctor's glare. "She helped save the world today. Not only that she sacrificed herself to save Rose and I admire that, if she does that for a nineteen year old that she never met before. Imagine what she would do for a country she loves"

Wilf chuckled. "All right then love. I'll let you go, your Mum's ranting on about terrorists. When are you coming for another visit?"

"Dunno, got so much to see and it's so easy to lose track of time Granddad" Donna said sighing. "I'll try to call more often and I visit the next time I come to this time period"

"Bye then love" Wilf said before hanging up.

Donna groaned as she hung up from her end.

"Aspirin?" the Doctor offered with a glass of water. "You're lucky I keep that in the med-bay for you, otherwise you would have to beg off of Jackie"

"Yes please, I have no idea what the hell I was thinking" Donna said glugging the water. "I don't even like brandy!" she sat there for a while before a mischievous grin grew on her face. "So, what did you tell Rose?"

"Hmm?"

"In the cupboard you whispered something in her ear. What was it?" Donna asked.

"None of your business" the Doctor grunted.

"Oh come on! I won't tell anyone else!"

The Doctor ignored her while he kept watching the monitor. "Aha! Got you, you little snake" he then waltzed off down the ramp. "Don't wait for me, I'm getting the little brat that spray painted my TARDIS"

As the Doctor stepped out he closed his eyes and remembered the scent of Rose's shampoo as he leaned in and whispered into her ear.

_I want you to travel with me...forever. _


	7. Dalek

"So what is it? What's wrong?" Rose asked as they stepped out of the TARDIS and into a dark, dusty room.

"Don't know, some sort of signal had us of course" the Doctor said scanning their surroundings.

"That's never good" Donna grumbled. "We always end up almost dying when a signal comes in"

"Where are we?" Rose asked.

"Earth, Utah, North America, about half a mile underground" the Doctor said absently.

"And when are we?" Donna asked.

"2012" the Doctor said examining something in a glass case.

"God that is so close" Rose said. "I should be 26"

"And Donna fifty" the Doctor murmured causing Donna to smack the back of his head. "Ow!" he whimpered rubbing the spot Donna had hit.

"I'm 35 you bastard" Donna snarled. Suddenly the lights turned on and it looked as if they were in a museum. "We're in a museum" Donna said.

"An alien museum" the Doctor said. "Someone's got a hobby. They must have spent a fortune on this" they began to walk past the glass cases. "Chunks of meteors and moon dust. That's a thermometer of the Roswell spaceship"

"Oh my god that's a Slitheen arm!" Donna burst out pointing to the gruesome green arm standing tall and proud.

"It's been stuffed" Rose said staring at it.

"Oh look at you" the Doctor said admiringly as he walked towards a metal head.

"What is it?" Rose asked as she and Donna followed.

"An old friend of mine" the Doctor answered. "Well enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old"

"Is that where the signal is coming from?" Rose asked.

"No it's stone dead. The signal is coming from something alive. Someone's reaching out, calling for help" the Doctor reached out to touch the glass case, causing an alarm to go off. Suddenly a group of soldiers come running in and they all held up their guns towards them.

"Oh you just couldn't resist and get us arrested!" Donna moaned. "This someone is collecting aliens and you just made us exhibit A"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They were led into an office where a man with balding brown hair and matching moustache sat back examining something as a young boy, younger than Rose explained to him what the item might be.

"I really wouldn't hold it like that" the Doctor said.

"Shut it" the curly redhead snapped.

"Really though I wouldn't" the Doctor continued ignoring the woman.

"Is it dangerous?" the boy asked.

"No just looks silly" the Doctor answered leaning forwards to take it but paused when the sounds of the soldiers taking the safety of could be heard. The moustached man held a hand up and the soldiers lowered their weapons, he then handed the Doctor the alien artefact. "We just need to be" he slowly stroked it and a high pitched sound could be heard. "Delicate" he grinned carrying on stroking it carrying on the high pitched sound.

"It's a musical instrument" the moustached man said in amazement.

"Really I would have never guessed with it making that noise" Donna said sarcastically.

"It's a long way from home" the Doctor said softly ignoring Donna as usual.

"Here let me" the moustached man said snatching it up and trying; only making a static noise.

"I did say delicate" the Doctor said. "It reacts to the tiniest of finger precision" the moustached man started to make the same noise that the Doctor made and the Doctor beamed. "Very good, quite the expert"

"As are you" the man replied chucking the instrument on the floor, Donna was itching to slap the man even though she only known him for a five minutes. "Who exactly are you?"

"I'm the Doctor and who are you?"

"Like you don't know" the man snapped. "We're in an underground building field with the most valuable extraterrestrial artefacts in the world and you just stumbled in by mistake?"

"Pretty much sums him up" Donna said sighing. "And funny enough not everyone knows who you are. So who are you?"

"The question is how you got in, you were found 53 floors down" the moustached man said ignoring Donna. "With your cat burglar accomplices, quite the collector yourself, they're both rather pretty.

"She's going to smack you if you keep call-"

Rose's threat was cut off by Donna slapping the man.

"OW, what the hell?" the man said clutching his cheek. "Your accents, you're English! Hey little frat boy you got yourself some girlfriends here"

"This is Mr Henry Van Stratton" the boy introduced the older man.

"And who is he at home?" Rose shot back unimpressed.

"Mr Van Stratton owns the internet" the boy continued.

"Don't be stupid no one owns the internet!" Donna retorted.

"And lets keep people thinking that" Van Stratton said smirking.

The Doctor and Van Stratton bantered for a while; Rose claimed you could smell the testosterone and Donna had to agree it did feel like two of the biggest egos in the universe were battling it out. Van Stratton arranged the Doctor to see the living specimen while the kid had to babysit Rose and Donna.

Donna was being baby sat by a kid. She was so going to kill Van Stratton or the Doctor, she didn't care which.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The boy was called Adam and he led them to his workshop which was covered in alien technology, it reminded Donna a lot of the Doctor's workshop.

"Sorry about the mess, Mr Van Stratton lets me do my own thing" Adam said nervously. "Just as long as I deliver the goods"

"Yeah don't really care" Donna said bluntly sitting down on the nearest clean surface.

Adam kept going on about his theories on the universe being filled with life and how the UN had been hiding aliens for a long time. Rose was trying to act interested while Donna was feeling like she was going to fall asleep soon. Rose flirtatiously suggested about travelling and Adam out right said it wasn't going to happen in this life time and people who said they've been in spaceships are nutters.

Donna was seriously questioning Rose's taste in men. First Rickey the Idiot, then the Doctor and now this moron.

"So how did you end up here?" Donna asked interrupting the giggling between the two.

"Van Stratton has people searching the world for geniuses to recruit" Adam said rather smugly.

"Oh so you're a genius then" Rose said.

"Sorry but I was born with it. When I was eight I logged into the US system, almost caused World War Three"

"So? I nearly caused 34 wars in the fast few months, the Doctor's been keeping a tally" Donna yawned. "It's not funny, you know"

"But you should have been there, seeing them running about. It was fantastic!" Adam said enthusiastically.

"You sound like the Doctor" Rose said quietly.

"Are you and him...?"

"No we're just friends" Rose said but she looked like she wished it was more.

"Yeah I actually thought he was Donna's husband, I just had to check" Adam said blushing slightly.

"You what! Me and Space-Man? Not in this life time sunshine, we're siblings in a sense" Donna shrieked.

Rose and Adam ignored Donna and kept flirting, making Donna rather ill. However she leaned in with interest as they watched a man torture the alien, Donna felt even sicker. How could someone harm a creature just because it was different?

"It's being tortured!" Donna shrieked. "Where's the Doctor?"

"I don't know" Adam said.

"I'm going to find that big-eared twat" Donna said running off.

"Wait! You can't go!" Adam shouted after her.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna wandered helplessly through the corridors looking for the Doctor, her best hope would be to go to the cage and work her way from there but then the chances of finding him quickly were slim and if someone found her then she'd probably be dragged back to Adam the annoying genius brat.

She pressed herself against a wall watching two soldiers march along the corridor chatting.

"Looks like Van Stratton found himself another alien" one said. "That bloke in the leather jacket"

"Really? Doesn't look alien" the other said.

"Yeah apparently he's some Time King thing" the first one shrugged. "Van Stratton is examining him on level 33"

"Poor bloke, Van Stratton is a vicious little bastard" the second one said sympathetically.

"Yeah but he pays well" the first one said. "Come on lets get a cuppa, I'm dying for some caffeine"

"I knew I should have slapped that moustached wanker harder" Donna muttered under her breath as she ran towards the lift.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"But it knows I'm here! It's woken up, Van Stratton listen to me, no one is safe on this base, no one on this planet!" Donna heard the Doctor shout. There was a sound of a laser or something being used and the Doctor screaming in pain.

Fury and gear got hold of her. How dare they, how dare they take her honouree brother and hurt him like this. She peered into the room to see the Doctor chained down in one of those classical clichéd spy film tables, she could see Van Stratton at the controls of the laser and she growled inaudibly. She stepped into the room.

"Let him go" she growled.

"Oh it's the pretty English redhead" Van Stratton said smirking. "What are you going to do? Slap me? I'll only tie you up to him and see how alien you are as well"

"Try it and you'll lose your family jewels" Donna snarled.

"Condition red, condition red, I repeat condition red. This is not a drill" a voice shouted over the intercom. Van Stratton looked alarmed and Donna took the opportunity to check the Doctor over. He was sweaty and exhausted and jerked away from her hand.

"Release me if you want to live" he said in a quiet, dark voice to Van Stratton. Van Stratton nodded to the guards who released the Doctor, who almost dropped onto his knees if Donna hadn't caught him.

"I got you love, I got you" she said quietly helping him up.

"Get my leather jacket, we got a long battle coming up" he said darkly pulling away from her.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They got to the video conference TV and spoke to the solider that was down there with the dalek. Rose was also down there and she kept saying it was her fault, that she touched it and woke it up or something. The Doctor was now clinging tightly to Donna's hand. The dalek broke out of the cage within seconds, Donna managed to see a soldier lead Rose and Adam before the dalek broke the TV and began to absorb the power or something from the entire west coast, it also absorbed the knowledge of the entire internet.

Van Stratton was still insisting on keeping it alive despite the Doctor's orders to kill it, Donna had never seen the Doctor so eager to kill something and she knew what this creature must mean to him. Goddard sent in the soldiers to fight.

They soon got vision; the dalek wanted them to see something. The soldiers kept shooting at it but no bullet penetrated its metal casing as it slowly levitated into the air, it caused the sprinklers to work and killed everyone with one quick blow.

Donna hissed in shock, fear and anger. It could kill so easily and Van Stratton was letting it live. But then for a moment, one moment she swore it looked sad. The dalek was sad, probably grieving in its own way.

Van Stratton decided to help them. They were going to use the computer software to get to the remaining power and seal the vault off. As Van Stratton began to work on it the dalek began to communicate with them again.

The dalek only wanted to speak to the Doctor. Apparently the background radiation of a time traveller regenerated the dalek, it now had a tiny bit of Rose Tyler's DNA and it had been searching for the rest of the daleks and it found nothing. It was lost on what to do, it was only a soldier and it had no orders, the Doctor told it to die and it told him he would make a good dalek.

Donna kept murmuring comforting words, trying to tell him that the dalek was wrong, that he was a good friend and caring person, only wanting to save everyone while the dalek wanted to kill everything.

The Doctor simply ordered to seal the vaults. Donna phoned Rose and told her to run as fast as she could. She kept praying to every deity out there that Rose would come back to them safe. But then the power was failing and they had no choice but to close the vault gates just as Rose was running to them. Adam managed to slip through before they closed but Rose was trapped on the other side.

"I'm sorry Donna, I was too slow" she whispered. "Pass me to the Doctor, please"

Donna let out a little sob as she felt tears build up and roll down her cheeks, she passed the Doctor the phone and he looked horrified and furious. He threw the phone against the wall, breaking it.

"It killed her" he whispered. Donna was crying properly and Goddard was comforting her. She could hear the Doctor yell at Van Stratton, blaming himself and he then told Van Stratton off for the collection. "She was only nineteen years old" the Doctor added in a whisper.

Donna pulled away from Goddard and flung her arms round the Doctor and together they mourned Rose.

The moment Adam entered the room Donna screeched like a harpy and tried to claw him. The Doctor grabbed hold of her and glared at Adam coldly.

"Let me at him, let me at him, he left Rose, he left her!" she cried out struggling from the Doctor's arms.

"I'm not the one that sealed the vault!" Adam shouted sounding awfully alike to a five year old.

Before the Doctor or Donna could retort back the dalek's voice could be heard from the screen. "Open the vault or Rose Tyler dies"

"You're alive" the Doctor choked out.

"Can't get rid off me" Rose joked weakly.

"I thought you were dead" the Doctor said his voice filled with grieve.

"Open the vaults!" the dalek ordered.

"Don't do it!" Rose shouted at the same time Donna whispered pleadingly to him to open it.

"What use is emotions if you won't save the woman you love?" the dalek asked.

The Doctor opened the vaults.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor was going through the basket of alien looking guns, to find something to kill the dalek with. "Broken, broken, broken, hairdryer – here you go Donna something that won't interrupt my sonic screwdriver frequency, I hope" Donna snatched up the hairdryer and chucked it onto the floor.

"Mr Van Stratton usually erases members of staff's memory before sacking them. I kept all of this in case I needed to fight my way out" Adam explained.

"Honey Rickey the idiot could fight better than you and that is saying something" Donna said distractedly while examining another gun.

"I can fight!" Adam protested in a whiney voice.

Donna snorted as the Doctor asked "what are you going to do, throw your A-Levels at them?" the Doctor then found a very large and dangerous looking gun. "Oh yes! Lock and load"

Donna rolled her eyes. "Men and their toys, men and their toys" she muttered.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They found Rose standing under a few stray rays of sunlight coming through the hole in the ceiling standing in front of the dalek that had opened up it's metal casing to bathe in the sunlight. Donna found a shred of hope that there was more to this dalek.

But the Doctor insisted on killing it. She stood there silently as he and Rose argued.

"It couldn't kill Van Stratton, it couldn't kill me, it's changing...what about you Doctor? What the hell are you changing into?" Rose said glaring at him. It was then when Donna walked to Rose's side and slid her hand into Rose's.

"I'm with Rose on this Doctor" she said quietly.

The Doctor lowered his gun. "I couldn't...I wasn't...oh Rose, Donna, they're all dead" he cried out sadly.

"Why do we survive?" the dalek asked.

"I don't know" the Doctor said quietly.

"I am the last of the daleks"

"You're not even that, Rose did more than regenerate you. You absorbed her DNA, you're mutating" the Doctor said.

"Into what?" the dalek asked.

"Something new...I'm sorry"

Apparently emotions were terrible for daleks, it was against every they were programmed to believe in. The dalek begged Rose to kill it, to order it to die and with silent tears on her face she did. Donna holding the blonde tightly to her ran back to the Doctor was they watched the dalek kill itself.

The three held onto each other tightly. Grateful to be reunited, it was then when Donna realised what a family they had become. Rose was the little sister she wanted and the potential wife for the Doctor (though Donna doubts it'll ever happen) and the Doctor was the big brother to her.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"So that's it then? The end of the Time War?" Donna asked watching the Doctor stroke the TARDIS.

"Yes, I win" the Doctor said bitterly.

"The dalek survived" Rose said quietly. "Maybe some of your people have"

The Doctor shook his head. "I'd know" he tapped his temple. "In here it feels like no one"

"Well then, good thing me and Donna aren't going anywhere" Rose said as Adam ran up to them.

"Yeah" the Doctor whispered.

"We got to get out of here. Van Stratton is missing and they're closing down the base. Goddard is going to fill it up with cement, like it never existed!" Adam said.

"Hallelujah!" Donna muttered.

"About time" Rose said nodding.

"I got to go home" Adam said sadly.

"Better hurry up then, the next flight to Heathrow leaves in" the Doctor checked his watch. "Fifteen hundred hours"

"Adam was saying that in his whole life he wanted to see the stars" Rose hinted.

"Best he stand outside then" the Doctor said dismissively.

"But he-"

"Oh no, no way, no way hose say, not in this life time" Donna interrupted Rose. "I will not live in the same space as that annoying twerp. He comes, I leave"

"I don't want him either he's a bit pretty" the Doctor said "majority rules Rose."

Rose pouted and used her puppy dog eyes but both Donna and the Doctor stood their ground.

"Oh all right, we doesn't have to come" Rose said giving in. The Doctor turned and unlocked the door and the three went in ignoring Adam's shouts.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"He's a bit pretty" Donna said holding out a mug of tea to the Doctor. "Either you got a gay side that I never knew about or you were jealous"

The Doctor took the mug and gulped the tea down before going back to his work on the TARDIS. "I'm not gay" he said.

"So you were jealous then" Donna said sipping her cup of tea.

"I didn't say it" the Doctor evaded.

"Don't worry Space-Man your secret is safe with me" Donna said winking.

There was a pause.

"I'm too old and too bitter and not pretty enough for her" the Doctor said quietly. "I'm not good enough for her"

"Bollocks" Donna said. "The pair of you were made for each other. Sometimes I wish I could find someone who fits me like that"

"You will one day. Whole wide universe out there Donna" the Doctor said.

"Just as long as it's someone I can grab hold onto. I don't think I can stand shagging a giant face" Donna said more to herself.

The Doctor choked on his tea. "Wha...?"


	8. The Long Game

"So where are we?" Donna asked stepping out of the TARDIS and into a hot spaceship looking thing.

"Year 200,000 on some sort of space station" the Doctor said looking bored.

"They could turn the heating down a bit" Rose complained pulling at her top.

"I know it's a bit too hot" Donna agreed unbuttoning her suit jacket. "What's behind that gate there?" she asked curiously.

"Let's find out" the Doctor said leading them to a window that was behind the gate. "Ah, the fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire and there it is planet Earth at it's greatest height. Covered in Mega cities, five moons, population 96 billion, the home of a intergalactic domain stretching over a million planets and species, with mankind in the middle"

"Wow" Donna said looking awed.

"I'm hungry, think they sell chips here?" Rose asked suddenly.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Come on girls you'll love this period of history. It's at it's peak! Politics, art, culture, good food, manners-"

"Out of the way" someone snapped pushing pas the three of them as they started to open up the food stall.

"You were saying?" Donna said raising an eyebrow as they watched people pull out the food stalls and sell the food.

"Finest cuisine?" Rose asked raising her eyebrow at the Kronkburger.

The Doctor looked at his watch. "My watch must be broken" he said.

"All maybe you don't know your history" Donna suggested smirking.

"My history is fine!" the Doctor said indigently. "It's more than fine, it's perfect"

"Apparently not" Rose said. "Now food, how much is a Kronkburger?"

"2 credits 70 sweetheart now join the queue" the cook said.

"Money, we need money" Donna said in a sing song voice holding her hand out to the Doctor who sighed and grumbled under his breath as he hijacked a bank machine and handed them unlimited credit. "Thank you hon, coming for a Kronkburger?

"Nah I'm going to throw myself in and talk to the people" the Doctor said.

"Just don't end up kissing strangers, it was hard explaining to the King of Spain why you were snogging his daughter the last time" Donna warned him.

"I told you, she kissed me!" the Doctor shouted after her as she and Rose went off laughing.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Here try this it's called a zappy, bit like a slush puppy" Rose said holding out her plastic up to Donna.

"Oh what flavour?" Donna asked.

Rose took a sip and sloshed it round her mouth thoughtfully. "Sort of beef" she said.

"really?" Donna snatched up the cup and took a sip. She swallowed and grinned. "Definitely beef"

The pair giggled and Donna stopped and looked down at her food sadly.

"What's wrong Donna?" Rose asked looking concerned.

"I miss my Granddad, after that whole fiasco with the dalek I really wanted to hear his voice, talk to him...but my phone, it's broken, the Doctor threw it against the wall and now I have no way contacting with him." Donna said prodding at her burger sulkily.

"Can't you use the TARDIS one?" Rose asked sympathetically.

"No the big-eared twat has hidden it after the last time I burrowed it and caused a really big bill. Not that it matters since he never pays but still..." Donna sighed and took another sip of the beef flavoured drink. "Granddad would have loved all of this"

Rose pulled out her mobile. "Here you can burrow mine"

"Really?" Donna asked eagerly.

"Yeah, sure. In fact keep it for today and I'll nag the Doctor to take us mobile shopping after this, yeah?"

"Thanks hon" Donna said hugging Rose quickly before taking the phone and dialling her Granddad's number quickly.

"Hello? Who is this? I don't recognise the number" Wilf's voice shouted.

"Granddad it's me, I'm burrowing Rose's phone, long story but my one is broken." Donna said quickly.

"Donna love! How are you? How are them aliens? What happened to your phone? Do you need money for a new one?"

"No, no the Doctor will be paying since he was the one who broke it." Donna said smiling. "I'm fine and them aliens are also fine, I just wanted to see how you are"

"I'm fine love, just picked up this new alien theory magazine. It's a good read; I'll save it for you and your friends"

"Hey over here!" the Doctor shouted gesturing at Rose and Donna to come over.

"I got to go Granddad" Donna said rolling her eyes. "I'll phone you back as soon as I can, I promise"

"Ok love, you keep them aliens on their toes" her Granddad said.

"Bye" Donna said quietly before hanging up, Rose had already run over to the Doctor so she pocketed Rose's phone before joining them.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor introduced them to two women called Suki and Cathica who were news reporters. Apparently this whole space station was a satellite for news. The Doctor had claimed they were inspectors and got them into see how everything worked. They watched as the people sitting in a circle placed their hands over some sort of hand print thing lighting up the room and Cathica sat back in a chair, clicking her fingers and opening up a hole in her hand.

Donna's mouth dropped open. "Bloody hell" she said.

They watched as a blue ray went into Cathica's hole.

"Compressed information" the Doctor informed them. "Extreme incitement, news from every city, every country, every planet and they're all packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software, her brain is the computer"

"But if it all goes through her, she must be a genius" Rose said.

"Nah it's too much for her" the Doctor said walking round the room. "Her head would blow up. The moment that hole of hers closes up she forgets"

"But what about the people round the edge?" Donna asked.

"They all got tiny chips inside their head connecting them to her" the Doctor said pointing between the people and Cathica. "And it transmits. 600 channels. Every information of the empire comes out of this place. Now that's what I call power"

"This is so cool" Donna said shaking her head. She then frowned. "I think I can see her brain"

"This technology is wrong" the Doctor said quietly.

"Trouble?" Rose inquired.

"Oh yes"

Suddenly the lights in the walls went out and the people pulled away looking shocked.

"Damnit Suki I wasn't even half-way through, what happened?" Cathica snapped sitting up.

"Sorry" Suki said nursing her hand. "There must be some sort of glitch"

Suddenly there was a beep and a electronic voice shouted 'promotion' as the word appeared on a blue screen.

"Oh god" Cathica gasped. "Say my name, please say my name, please, please"

"Promotion for...Suki Macre Cantree please proceed to floor five hundred" the electronic voice said as Suki's name flashed on the screen. Suki looked gob smacked.

While Cathica sulked the Doctor looked like he was on to something. According to people the walls were made from gold.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Suki hugged all three of them tightly calling them her lucky charms before she went into the lift with a huge grin and shouting goodbye to them all.

"Good riddance" Cathica muttered crossing her arms.

"You're talking like you're not going to see her again" the Doctor said. "She's only going upstairs, you'll see her again"

"I won't. Once you go to floor five hundred, you never come back" Cathica said walking away. The three of them exchanged a look and knew this was a mystery for them to solve.

"Have you ever been up there?" the Doctor asked following her.

"You can't you need a key to get up there and to get that you need a promotion" Cathica explained. "And that's only for the chosen few"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They questioned Cathica about the floors apparently the only time she had been on a different floor was for her medical. She lived and worked on the same floor ever since she got here, she quickly worked out they weren't management and said she didn't want to be involved in anything. She didn't know why there weren't any aliens on board since they weren't banned, she didn't believe there was a conspiracy about it, said satellite five would have seen it.

The Doctor worked out that something was stunting the empire's growth by ninety years and Cathica informed them that the satellite started broadcasting 91 years ago. The three of them left Cathica, unaware that they had been watched.

"I think we should promote one of these strangers and find out exactly what they are" the man said quietly, a loud rumbling noise approved of this plan. He smirked and ran a finger through Suki's mousy brown hair. "Go down and take one of them to me....we'll implant their mind and find out exactly who they are"

Suki stiffly got up and went towards the lift.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"I'm just going to call Granddad" Donna said to Rose. "Then I'll give you, your phone back"

"Donna this isn't the time for domestics" the Doctor growled.

"I'll be on the observation deck" Donna shouted, walking away from the pair. "Don't get into any trouble without me."

As she reached the gate of the observation deck she was waiting for her Granddad to pick up the phone. "C'mon, c'mon" she murmured. "Pick up the phone Granddad!" from the corner of her eye she spotted a familiar mousy-haired woman, she squinted. "Suki? Is that you?"

The woman walked towards her stiffly, her eyes dead, void of all emotion. "Oh fuck no, not another zombie" Donna complained with a wail as she walked backwards slowly trying to look for an escape route.

Suki's arms stiffly reached out for her and with speed and strength Donna couldn't understand how such a small girl managed she had caught Donna and was dragging her to the lifts.

"DOCTOR! HELP!" Donna screamed before the doors slammed shut. She struggled in the zombie's arms. "LET GO OFF ME, LET GO, LET GO, LET GO!" but she felt something stab into her arm and allowed the darkness consume her.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

When she woke up she was completely alone in an ice cold room. She was surrounded by snow and ice; she shivered wishing she had her parka with her. She tried to sit up but her feet and hands were chained to the chair she was lying on, she was stuck.

She heard doors open somewhere and the Doctor ordering Rose to leave.

"DOCTOR!" Donna shouted. She can hear their footsteps crunching on the snow as they ran to her. "Oh god, what have they done to me? They done to something I can tell, I feel sick"

She could see the Doctor hovering over her and stroke her hair back. "It's all right, we're going to get you out I promise you Donna"

"They did something to Suki" Donna told him. "Made her into some sort of zombie. Oh god I can feel something in my head. I think I got a chip or something. Click your fingers!" The Doctor clicked his fingers and Donna's forehead opened up. Donna screamed, horrified. "WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO ME?"

"Calm down, I'll get it out of you once all of this is sorted. I promise" the Doctor promised clicking his fingers again to close the hole. "But first I have to sort this out. Don't move" he and Rose ran off as Donna yelled sarcastically after them.

"Oh yeah where else am I going to go? The head hole club?"

Donna couldn't hear a thing of what was going on when suddenly her forehead opened up again and she could feel that laser thing take information out of her head.

She screamed through the sheer agony of it all. It wasn't stopping, she couldn't take it. All she can see is images of the Doctor, the TARDIS, Rose and all their adventures. She was crying.

She suddenly felt herself be freed and landed on the floor on her knees, panting for breath as Cathica took her place. She sat back looking angry and determined as she barked out instructions and fed the machine information.

Around them the ice began to melt. Donna can hear gurgling sounds and shouts coming from the room near them. And alarms were going off everywhere.

"Oh no you don't" Cathica snarled. "You should have promoted me years back"

"You tell them, girl!" Donna cheered her on.

Cathica closed her eyes serenely and carried on her work until suddenly the Doctor ran in and clicked his fingers closing her forehead and conveniently Donna's as well. He grinned insanely at them both.

"You. Get. This. Hole. Out. Now. Before. I. Kill. You" Donna grounded out between gritted teeth.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"How is she?"

The Doctor looked up from his equipment to see Rose standing there clean from all makeup and her red and black outfit replaced with a plain jogging suit holding a cup of tea. She never looked so wonderful to him right now...mostly because she's got tea and he's dying for a cuppa.

"She'll be fine, come see" he clicked his fingers over a sleeping Donna's head and her forehead remained intact. "Just a simple surgery. Well not simple since I had to make sure I didn't take any of her memories and I had to replace the missing bone and human skin. But other than that easy peasy"

Rose giggled and passed him the cup she was holding. "Thought you could use a cuppa"

"You Rose Tyler are my saviour" he said gratefully seizing the cup and gulping down the drink. He was completely sincere about those words though, while Donna had pushed him out of being suicidal it was Rose that actually saved him from the darkness. It was hard to explain it because he adored both women but it was Rose he...

"Penny for your thoughts?" Rose's voice interrupted his musings.

He simply grunted his thoughts were worth far more than a blooming penny.

"All right then...I guess I'll go. Tell me when Donna wakes up" Rose said looking uncomfortable as she began to walk towards the door.

He wasn't sure what made him do it but he put down his cup, marched over to Rose, grabbed hold of her and pushed her against the Med-Bay door and proceeded to kiss the life out of her.

He was claiming her. Possessing her mouth with his tongue, not letting her have any control. She was his and his alone.

Just as he pulled away Donna began to snore loudly and the pair burst out laughing.

And for a moment the kiss was forgotten.


	9. Fathers and Daughters

"Peter Alan Tyler, my Dad, the most wonderful man in the world born 15th September 1964" Rose said quietly as she told Donna and the Doctor about her father, what her mother said, how he would loved to have seen her now. How he loved having adventures. "That's what my Mum always said...so I was thinking, could we? Could we go and see my Dad when he was alive"

"Where's this come along from all sudden?" the Doctor asked fiddling with the time rotor. From the corner of his eye he could see Donna looking sombre and solemn and he knew something was up.

"All right if it's against the laws of time or something just leave it" Rose mumbled sulkily and Donna reached out and hugged her.

"No I can do it, I'm just more worried about you" the Doctor said.

"I just want to see him" Rose said tearfully.

"Your wish is my command. But be careful for what you wish for" the Doctor said getting up. At this moment Donna knew that the Doctor was wrapped round Rose's little finger that he had fallen for her completely. After all the Doctor told her no when she asked to her Dad.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They watched the wedding of Jacqueline Andrea Suzette Prentice and Peter Alan Tyler. Pete got Jackie's name wrong causing Donna to snort and Jackie said she couldn't careless if it was good enough for Lady Di it was good enough for her, causing the Doctor to chuckle. Rose told them that he died alone, no one to hold his hand and her mother wished that someone, just someone held his hand.

"I want to be that someone, I want to hold his hand" Rose said.

Donna wished that she could ask the same. But she had already been there, her father died safe and snug in a hospital bed with his hands being held by her and her mother.

"November the seventh?" the Doctor asked.

"1987" Rose finished nodding. The TARDIS landed smoothly and they exited to find themselves on an ordinary street on a ordinary day. "god...the day my Dad died...I sort of imagined it to be all storms and gloom...but it's just an ordinary day"

"The past is another country...1987 was just the Isle of White" the Doctor said smugly.

"1987" Donna groaned clutching her head. "Oh god what a nightmare"

"Dare we ask?" the Doctor said raising an eyebrow. Just as he said it a redhead in tight, short clothes clinging to a punk walked past. Donna groaned as Rose and the Doctor stared in disbelieve.

"What are you looking at?" the redhead spat out before stalking off with the punk.

"You used to wear clothes like that?!" the Doctor said looking shocked. "What on Earth were you thinking?"

Donna just groaned. "Leave me alone I was a kid then"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They watched Pete Tyler die quickly and the car drive off. Rose panicking ran off and Donna giving the Doctor a pointed glare that said 'let me handle this' ran after her.

"It's too late now" Rose said leaning against a wall listening to the ambulance. "By the time the ambulance got there he was dead" her voice went up a pitch as she tried not to sob out loud.

Donna took the blonde into her arms. "We should go back to the TARDIS darling, have a cuppa, grieve. We shouldn't have come here; we shouldn't have put you through this"

"He can't die on his own!" Rose protested pulling away. "Can I try again?"

The Doctor who had followed them to Donna's annoyance and surprise...agreed.

Rose instead of holding Pete's hand as he died, ran out and pushed him out of the way. The Doctor and Donna stood there shocked as Rose spoke to her father, laughing slightly.

"Not good?" Donna said weakly.

"Not good" the Doctor agreed looking thunderous.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna stood there uncharacteristically quiet as she watched Rose and the Doctor scream and shout at each other. The Doctor demanded the TARDIS key and told Rose goodbye before taking Donna's wrist in a vice like grip and storming off.

Rose taunted the Doctor telling him that she knew how sad he is without her and that she'll make him wait for a long time. Donna felt disgusted but she knew she knew what Rose was feeling.

She didn't even get the chance to say goodbye to Rose when the Doctor dragged her out and the front door of the Tyler flat was slammed shut.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell happened?" Donna demanded as the Doctor carried on marching, his fingers digging into her wrist. "What changed between our last trip and now? What made you do this? And don't give me that dirty look you gave into her not me"

The Doctor stood there quietly.

"What she did...it was wrong, I get that" Donna continued. "But if it was me. If it was my Dad. If I could get a cure of cancer from the future and bring it to him...I would have. Because I loved him because I miss him. If you accidentally landed on Galifrey, you would have gone out there and do everything in your power to save it. It's selfish, I know but its love"

The Doctor looked at Donna. "I'm sorry" he said. "I didn't think how this could have affected you. You lost your father as well"

"Yeah...well...I'm all right" Donna said shrugging helplessly.

"Come here" the Doctor said pulling Donna into a hug. "I'm sorry" he mumbled.

"So am I, she broken your hearts hasn't she?" Donna said softly pulling away from the Doctor and watching him carefully.

"No she didn't, she just broke my trust" the Doctor said gruffly avoiding Donna's eye.

"Why is it so hard for you to admit you're in love?" Donna asked. "It's so obvious to everyone but you and her!"

The Doctor just grunted before taking Donna's hand. "TARDIS" he said walking quickly.

"We can't leave Rose here" Donna said. "This isn't her time; she's a six month or so baby. If you're going to leave her at least take her back to her own time"

"I'm not leaving her Donna, I'm just letting her and me stew" the Doctor said gruffly. "She'll come back later and we'll have a good talk about messing up timelines. Till then I fancy a good cuppa" They were getting near the TARDIS when they heard something rumbling. "Can you hear something?" the Doctor asked looking up in the trees.

"Your stomach?" Donna suggested.

"Oh ha, ha, ha" the Doctor said rolling his eyes as he went to the TARDIS and unlocked the door. To reveal a empty small blue box. The Doctor jumped in and began touching every bit looking terrified.

"What happened? Where's the TARDIS?" Donna asked panicking.

"Rose!" the Doctor shouted grabbing Donna's hand and started to run.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"ROSE!" Donna screamed.

Rose turned round to face them with a smile.

"Get into the church!" the Doctor shouted after her. Suddenly a large flying dinosaur thing (Donna can never remember its name) like creature appeared out of no where and flew down at Rose who screamed, the Doctor tackled her to the floor. "Get into the church" he repeated as they got up. Everyone began to run to the church when three more of the same creatures appeared, a woman screamed and the guests came out. "Get back in the church!" the Doctor shouted.

A man ran out and was killed, eaten, something by one of the creatures. The bride ran forwards to the door when one of the creatures swooped down towards her, she screamed and it flew off and ate the priest instead. The Doctor herded everyone into the church and slammed the doors shut, everyone was panicking.

"It can't get in as long as the windows and doors are shut. The older it is the stronger it is what else" the Doctor said thoughtfully. "Go and check the other doors, move" Donna followed his order as a younger Jackie Tyler followed the Doctor.

"What's happening?" she asked. "What are they?"

"They're an accident in time, a wound in time. They're like bacteria taking advantage" the Doctor said checking the other doors.

"What do you mean by time? What are you jabbling on about time?" Jackie demanded.

"Oh I might have known you would argue Jackie I'm-"

"How did you know my name? I never told you-"

"And tired of you-"

"I never seen you in my life"

"And no you won't if I don't sort this out"

The Doctor and Jackie shouted at each other. Donna sighed. "I should have known, leave you two in a room together and you start arguing" to Donna's surprise the Doctor told Jackie to sit quietly and she said 'yes sir' the Doctor's grin was enough to get Donna to slap him.

"OW!" the Doctor protested.

"That was for Jackie" Donna informed him. "Over there is a frightened twenty one year old version of her, she's not the woman you know, so leave her alone or I'll slap you harder"

The phones weren't working, it kept repeating the first ever phone call and no where is safe but the church. Donna can tell from the small interaction between Rose and the Doctor that it was so obviously Rose's fault.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"So who is he then?" Jackie asked bouncing the baby Rose. "That man, is he your husband or something?"

"What? No, he's my brother" Donna said absently staring out of the window, trying to work out where she had been on November the seventh 1987, she was hoping that she had gone home and is safe...but she can't remember. If her younger self gets eaten, will she disappear as well?

A creature bashed against the window and they jumped.

"Oh I don't know, these monsters...they're rather creepy" Jackie said shivering while holding the baby Rose tighter.

"Yes they are" Donna agreed. A black boy ran up to them and hugged Donna's waist tightly. "Hello sweetheart, who are you?" she asked fondly ruffling his hair.

"That's Mickey Smith, good boy but he clings for life onto random strangers" Jackie said rolling her eyes. "Where's Pete Mickey, have you seen him?"

Mickey nodded "his with the pretty girl" he said in childish voice.

The jealous and possessive look on Jackie's face told Donna that poor Rose was going to be in for a tongue lashing and probably even a cat fight. "Do me a favour love, look after Rose while I talk to my husband" she handed Rose to Donna and got up. "Can you show me Mickey?"

Mickey ran off pulling Jackie in her hideous peach dress down the aisle. While Donna looked down at the baby who blinked at her.

"Don't look at me I don't know what to do" Donna said holding Rose warily away from her.

The Doctor chuckled behind her. "I knew you weren't the mothering type" he said smirking.

"Oh yeah" Donna said getting up. "I don't think you're the fathering type but I'm still leaving Rose in your arms" she shoved the baby Rose into his arms and strolled off. "Oh and Doctor? I think her nappy needs changing"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna came back from the loo to see Rose and the Doctor arguing again. She rolled her eyes and walked towards them when she felt a pain in her gut. She yelped before tumbling to the floor.

"DONNA!" the Doctor and Rose ran to her side as she screamed.

"What's...happening?" she choked out holding her stomach tightly.

"You're fading" the Doctor said sadly, a stray tear rolled down his cheek. "You were outside, we saw you remember? The reapers, they've eaten you and that means no Donna Noble."

"God I'm so sorry" Rose sobbed.

Donna reached out to stroke Rose's cheek but her hand fell through not touching her skin. "Not your fault. I would have done the same" Donna whispered. She closed her eyes and faded completely.

"She was like a sister" the Doctor growled. "The sister I never wanted but can't quite get rid off and now she's gone. Donna Noble is not going to die like that. You hear me Rose Tyler? We are going to bring her back"

"But how?" Rose whispered.

"I don't know. I don't have a plan Rose...my people...they could have solved this...but they're gone now...and I'm going to go the same way."

"If I had realised that what I have done would have destroyed everything. Would have killed Donna...I wouldn't have done it" Rose whispered.

"Just tell me you're sorry"

"I am" Rose said sincerely. "I am so, so sorry"

The Doctor cupped Rose's face and grinned before hugging her tightly.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna wasn't sure what happened or where she was before. Or she knew was darkness before suddenly she was standing in the church the sun hitting her face and she sighed in relieve. She was live.

"Have I told you how much I hate domestics?" the Doctor said beside her. "The bloody domestics of the Tyler family killed me"

They could see Rose's shoulders moving unsteadily as she tried not to sob. "It saved you though as well" Donna pointed out. "Saved me"

"Yeah I can see where Rose gets her hero complex from" the Doctor said walking slowly to Rose. He placed a hand on her shoulder and murmured. "Go to him"

Rose ran out and kneeled beside her father, holding his hand tightly. She then pressed a kiss on his forehead and stood up and looked at the Doctor in the eye. He took her hand and led her back to the TARDIS, his other hand holding Donna's.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"It was all my fault" Rose whispered as Donna laid the blonde down on her beautiful antique bed that the TARDIS had chosen out for her. "I killed you"

"No sweetheart it wasn't your fault" Donna said gently brushing stray blonde strands out of Rose's face. She then held a glass of water up with a straw and a small pill. "Take this it'll help you sleep tonight"

Rose slowly took the pill and slipped it in her mouth, with Donna's help she took a sip of water. Her head fell back; the effects were immediate thank god for alien knowledge. Donna pulled Rose's duvet up, tucking the girl into bed and pressed a kiss on her forehead.

"It's not your fault" she whispered again.

When Donna reached the kitchen she found the Doctor standing there waiting for her. He grabbed hold of her elbow and wordlessly led her into the console room. With a few adjustments he set the TARDIS off and opened the door for her.

She glanced at him briefly but didn't say a word as she exited the TARDIS. She entered a hospital room and there laid a man with tubes and wires sticking out of his arm.

"Oh Dad" Donna whispered walking quickly to her sleeping father and took his hand into hers.

She spent the whole night there watching over her sleeping peaceful father.

**Authors Note: I want to get up to 90 reviews before I even start thinking of updating again...with Jack in the next chapter. **


	10. The Empty Child

The TARDIS shook as it followed something; Donna and Rose were gripping tightly to the console as the Doctor ran about piloting.

"What's the emergency?" Rose asked.

"It's mauve" the Doctor said.

"Mauve?" Rose said

"Universal colour for danger" the Doctor informed them.

"What happened to red?" Donna asked.

"That's just humans. By everyone else's standards it's rather camp actually-"

"Finish that lecture and I might bloody slap you!" Donna snapped shutting the Doctor up. "Why are we following this thing?"

Basic slate here, it connected itself to the TARDIS, wherever it goes we go" the Doctor said.

"And that's safe yeah?" Rose asked nervously.

"Totally" the Doctor said.

Just as the TARDIS console exploded and both girls screamed.

"Totally safe he says" Donna grumbled.

"Reasonably, I should have said reasonably" the Doctor said. "No, no, no, stupid time crash is getting away from us!"

"What exactly is this thing?" Rose demanded to know.

"No idea" the Doctor said.

"So why the hell are we following it?" Donna asked looking annoyed.

"Because it's dangerous and more than 30 seconds from crashing into the centre of London" the Doctor informed them. Both women paled.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The TARDIS landed in a dark, gloomy alley in the middle of night.

"Do you know how long you can knock round space without bumping into Earth?" the Doctor asked.

"Five days, so we can get milk" Rose said looking around.

"Of all the species of the whole world it had to come out of a cow" the Doctor said shaking his head.

"Could have been worse. Could have come out of a dog or cat" Donna said shivering slightly. "Remind me again why I decided to wear a skirt today?"

"Because you wanted to feel like a woman" the Doctor said with an eye roll. "Now it must have come down somewhere close. Within a mile away and it can't have been long, a few weeks, a month tops"

"A month, we were right behind it!" Rose exclaimed.

"Jumping time tracks all over the place, we were bound to land a few weeks later. Would you like to try driving?" the Doctor said, Donna opened her mouth and he cut her off. "No, not under any circumstances am I going to let you drive"

"Bastard" Donna muttered.

"So what's the plan, are we going to scan for alien tech or something?" Rose asked excitedly.

"Rose it landed in the middle of London with a bang" the Doctor said. "We just have to ask" he flipped open his psychic paper.

"Dr John Smith ministry of asteroids" Rose read.

"It's psychic paper it can show-"

"Whatever you want to see. We know, we know" Donna said rolling her eyes.

"It's not very Spock, just asking" Rose said looking disappointed as the Doctor pressed one of his large ears against the door.

"Music, people, what do you think?" the Doctor said.

"That you should do a scan for alien tech; give me some Spock, would it kill ya?" Rose said looking annoyed.

"You're sure about that t-shirt?" the Doctor asked ignoring Rose Spock questions.

Rose touched her Union Jack t-shirt. "I'm taking it out for a spin, what do you think?" Rose asked.

"Mummy!" a little boy's voice echoed through the alley. Donna looked up and slowly began to walk down the alley. "Mummy!"

"Are you two coming or what?" the Doctor asked opening the door and walking through.

"Muuuuuuuuuuuuuumy!"

On the roof top Donna could see a small boy wearing a mask standing there. "Doctor! There's a kid up there!" she shouted. She turned to see only Rose and she rolled her eyes. "Come on Blondie we have a kid to save" she said running in her short skirt and smart flat heeled pumps.

"Are you all right up there?" Donna called to the boy as she ran up the stairs. Rose hot on her heels. "My name is Donna and this is Rose, we're going to help you!"

"Muuuuuuuuuuuuuumy!" the boy called.

"We're on our way sweetheart" Donna promised as she carried on running up. As soon as the pair got up on the roof the boy was gone.

"Where is he?" Rose asked looking around.

Donna pointed up to a higher part of the roof. "Up there"

"Mummy!"

"Hang on don't move" Rose shouted up to the boy looking for a way to get up there. Donna had already found the rope and started climbing. "Donna are you sure, you're wearing a skirt"

"The kid needs help, who cares if the whole blooming London sees my underwear?" Donna grunted as she climbed higher. "Go back down and tell the Doctor where I am"

"Are you sure?" Rose asked.

"Just go and get the Doctor!" Donna snapped rolling her eyes as she heard Rose run down the stairs.

"Mummy" the boy said looking at Donna. "Balloon!"

Suddenly the rope swung away from the wall and Donna squealed as she was floating away from the roof.

"DONNA!" Rose screamed.

"GET THE DOCTOR!" Donna shouted as the barrage balloon took her away. "I AM GOING TO FUCKING KILL THAT KID WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM!" she screamed on the top of her lungs.

Then suddenly an air raid started and Donna got a pretty good idea what time the TARDIS landed in. She was so going to kill that kid...and then the Doctor.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Rose, where's Donna?" the Doctor shouted grabbing hold of the running blonde that looked worried, terrified and panicked.

"She's kind of up there" Rose said pointing to the sky.

"What do you mean up there?! You know, maybe one day, just one day I will meet someone who gets the whole don't wander off thing" the Doctor growled looking frustrated.

"There was a kid on the roof, Donna sent me to find you when the barrage balloon kind of...floated away..." Rose said weakly.

Suddenly a phone ring behind them echoed through the alley. They turned to see the TARDIS was ringing...the Doctor approached it slowly looking confused. He opened the side door to reveal an old fashioned phone that was ringing.

"How could you be ringing?" he demanded. "What am I supposed to do with a ringing phone?"

"It's a phone" Rose said slowly. "You answer it"

"Don't answer it" the pair turned to see a young brunette girl standing there. "It's not for you"

"And how do you know that?" the Doctor asked slowly.

"Because I do and I'm telling ya, don't answer it" the girl said.

"Well tell me this. How can it be ringing? It's not a real phone, it's not connected its not-" the Doctor turned round to see the brunette girl had disappeared. "Where did she go?" he asked Rose.

"I dunno...she sort of ran off when I had my head turned" Rose shrugged.

"Oh fat lot of use you are" he muttered darkly slowly reaching out for the phone.

"Oh come on it's not going to bite you!" Rose laughed.

The Doctor snatched up the phone and answered it. "Hello?" there was no answer. "This is the Doctor speaking" no answer. "How can I help you?"

The mocking tone of the Doctor's was getting on Rose nerves when suddenly he got serious and demanded to know who it was on the phone. He slowly put the phone back in looking confused he turned to see Rose sharing the same look of confusion and footsteps nearby caught their attention as they ran down the alley, hand in hand.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna was holding onto the rope tightly, squeaking and squealing every time a plane came close to hitting her. She prayed Rose and the Doctor would get her down soon but somehow she doubt it. She didn't know she was being watched.

Down in a room filled of soldiers a man standing on the balcony watched her through his binoclyers.

"Jack, are you coming down the shelter?" a man called after him. "Oh is that a barrage balloon floating about, must have got loose. It happens then and again. Don't the RFA forces use those for target practise?"

The binoclyers zoomed in on the small, tight bottom beneath the short black skirt. "Excellent bottom" Jack said admiringly. "And on a hot redhead. Oh please let her have a temper that's my favourite"

A sound of someone's hand smacking on their forehead could be heard behind him.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

She was over the Thames, near Big Ben when a bomb exploded so close to her. She accidentally let go in the shock and screamed shrilly as she fell. Suddenly a blue laser shot out and caught her midair. That better be the Doctor and the TARDIS.

"It's ok, ok, I got you" a sexy American drawl shouted at her.

Ok maybe not the Doctor. "Who's got me?" she asked. "And you know...how?" she looked round her.

"I'm just programming your descent pattern. Stay still as you can and keep your hands and feet in the light field" the American voice told her calmly.

"What's a descent pattern?" Donna asked.

"Oh and can you please turn off your cell phone" the American voice called to her. She gawped in disbelieve. "No seriously, it's disrupts my instrument"

"Oh! I wonder why no one believes that" she pulled out her brand new mobile that the Doctor paid for her and did his amazing jiggery pokery to and switched it off.

"Thank you that's a lot better"

"Yes it's a great load of my mind" Donna said sarcastically. "Now I can just float about in a middle of an air raid all relaxed because my mobile is off"

"I'll be with you in a moment" the voice told her calmly ignoring her sarcasm. She hovered for a few seconds when it called to her again. "Hold on"

"To what?!"

"Fair point"

Suddenly she was being pushed (she says pushed because she was unsure how to describe the sensation) down the blue white light tunnel screaming her head off when suddenly two strong arms caught hold of her.

"I got you, I got you" the American accent reassures her. "You're fine, you're just fine" he bounced her lightly as she coughed. "The tractor beam can scramble your head a little."

She snorted sarcastically when she opened her eyes and was staring into the face of the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. "Hello" she said softly feeling a blush grow on her cheeks.

"Hello" the man replied with a slight quirk on his lips.

"Hello" Donna repeated. "Oh wait I already said that...then again didn't have much a choice of words then"

"Are you all right?" the man asked her smiling fully now.

"Me? I'm fine, more than fine I'm brilliant more than brilliant, I'm fantastic! Oh god I sound like him now!" the man put her down on her feet gently as she began to pace slightly. "You're looking at me like I'm supposed to faint!"

"Aren't you feeling dizzy?" the man asked looking concerned.

"Me? I'm fine, more than fine I'm brill-" suddenly she passed out before darkness completely consumed her she could feel the man's arms pick her up and lays her gently on the bed.

She wondered when she woke up she'll stop acting like a school girl with a crush.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor and Rose scared the children that were secretly helping themselves to someone else's dinner. The brunette girl from before told everyone to sit down, telling them that those two weren't supposed to be there either. The children asked if they were coppers and after reassuring them they weren't the Doctor and Rose found out that the brunette girl's name was Nancy and she looks after the children, finding them food during the air raids. The Doctor wanted to know why the TARDIS phone had rung but Nancy wouldn't answer him he then asked if anyone seen a slap happy redhead in a tight skirt and he does mean specifically because slap happy redheads aren't his type.

Nancy snatched up the Doctor's plate and told him off for taking two slices. She told him that she had seen no redhead and no tight skirts. The Doctor quickly asked about the capsule that they had followed, even drew a picture for them. Suddenly someone calling for their mother tapped on the window and the Doctor pulled the curtain back to reveal a blonde boy wearing a gasmask. For some reason the children were terrified.

Nancy ordered the children to run and they did. She then told the Doctor and Rose not to touch the boy because it'll turn them into him...empty. Apparently the boy could manipulate phones and radios, calling for his Mummy. Nancy then ran and shortly after the boy disappeared as well.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna woke up to find herself in a small cramped spaceship, someone in a chair turned round and the gorgeous man from before smiled.

"Better now?" he asked.

"Well since I'm no longer floating round London clinging to a balloon and I don't have a headache, I assume so" Donna said smiling back. "Got any lights around here? I can barely see"

The man turned the lights on and grinned even more at her. "Hello" he drawled.

"Hello" she replied blushing.

"Hello" he said again.

"Oh I'm not going there again!" Donna exclaimed hands on her hips causing the man to chuckle. "So who are you then?" Donna asked leaning against the wall coyly.

"Captain Jack Harkness from the squad 113 of the Royal Air Force, American volunteer" Jack said holding up a leather wallet that Donna took.

"You think I'm stupid?" Donna asked raising an eyebrow. "This is psychic paper."

"How did you work that out?" Jack asked.

"Well one I have a friend that always uses this and two it says here you're single and you work out" Donna said smirking. "You could have just asked me out you know. After all can't let your mind wonder when you're holding psychic paper" she handed the leather wallet.

Jack whistled when he read something on the paper. "I was right to save you. Sexy redhead with a temper who's actually rath-"

"Finish that sentence and I have no problems slapping you Pretty-Boy" Donna snapped crossing her arms.

"Oh so you think I'm pretty?" Jack asked preening.

"Like your spaceship, very Spock" Donna said changing the subject while trying her hardest not to blush, of course she thinks he's pretty...pretty sexy.

"Who?"

"Take it you're not local then" Donna said shrugging.

"Cell phone and clothes made out of materials that won't be round for another two decades, guess you're not a local girl" Jack said reading something from his wrist.

Donna leaned forwards over the console to look out of the window and gasped when her hands stung. She looked at her hands which were completely ruined with burns and moaned. "My hands are ruined, how the hell will I be able to type a 100 words per a minute now?" she looked out of the window to see bombs still being let off. "Can't anyone see us?" she asked nervously.

"No, can I have a look at your hands for a moment?" Jack asked.

"Why?"

"Please"

Donna sighed and rolled her eyes holding her hands out. Jack sat beside her and pulled something out to scan her hands, his own fingers were dancing lightly on the back of her hands causing Goosebumps form on her arms.

"You can stop acting now I know you're a Time Agent" Jack informed her. "I was expecting one of you to show up though by barrage balloon was rather unexpected"

"What the hell is a Time Agent?" Donna demanded to know. Jack pulled out a scarf and wrapped it round her wrists. "What are you doing? " Donna demanded pulling away.

"Hold still please" Jack said gently. He pressed a button and golden light danced round her palms as he explained nano-genes to her. "Now let's get down to business"

"Business?" Donna asked.

Jack pulled out a bottle of champagne and pressed a button to open down some stairs. "Let's drink this on the balcony, bring the glasses" he ran up and Donna watched admiringly at his buttocks as she followed carrying the glasses. She almost fell back when she realised there was nothing before her, Jack ran forward and caught he while still holding the bottle, he gently pulled her back and then pulled out a remote to show the ship.

"Why the hell have you got an invisible spaceship tied to Big Ben?" Donna demanded to know.

"When you using the camouflage best park somewhere you'll remember" Jack said popping the corkscrew out of the bottle. "Otherwise it's a bitch to get back home"

"Yeah tell me about it" Donna laughed as Jack's fingers brushed against her hands as he poured the champagne into the glasses.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Instead of talking business they talked about themselves. Jack was from the 51st century in a little planet called the Boeshane Pensuila he loved the 1940s, he's favourite time period to visit. Though he loved pleasure planets, just the name told Donna that this man was a bit of a man-whore, a man-whore with charms but a man-whore just the same.

But he loved the same books as she did, his favourite colour was blue like hers, he got into trouble as easily as she did and by the time she was through her third glass of champagne she was so ready to pull him to her and snog the living daylights out of this man.

In fact his lips were rather close to hers...

She pulled away and put her glass down, slowly getting up, he grabbed hold of her wrist. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"It's getting late, my friends will be wondering where I am. Actually they're probably wandering round the whole of London looking for me" Donna said smiling awkwardly at him.

"But what about business?" Jack asked getting up.

"Is business some sort of euphuism because I tell you something Invisible-Boy, I ain't easy" Donna said, hands on her hips while glaring at Jack.

"I didn't think you were" Jack reassured her softly, wrapping his arms round her waist and pulling her closer to him. "You Donna Noble would be worth everything" he murmured near her ear, his breath tickling it, her eyes fluttered shut. "Do you like Glenn Miller?" he asked when some music floated from beneath them, Donna smiled this man was a show off all right. "Dance with me Donna Noble"

"Oh all right but if I get bollocked by Space-Man I'll blame you" Donna said wrapping her arms round Jack's as he led her into a dance round on the top of the invisible spaceship.

"It's 1941 in the middle of a blitz, the height of the German bomb campaign" Jack said seductively. "A Chula warship last in existence, armed to the teeth and I know where to get it, because I parked it"

Donna snorted.

"And if the agency can name the right price I can get it for you" Jack leaned down and whispered huskily in her ear. "But for one night with you I would go all the way to getting you a star" she blushed as he pulled away and went back to business. " But in two hours a German bomb will land on it and it'll be gone forever. That is your deadline, you got that?"

"You know what? I think you were just talking there" Donna whispered staring up at him feeling overwhelmed.

"Two hours before the bomb falls and there'll be not-"

She cut him off with a kiss, he responded quickly, pulling her to him tightly his hand entwining itself into her hair as he quickly took charge of the kiss. She pulled away with a gasp and tried to catch her breath.

"Sorry about that, I just...I don't...I...shall I just go?" she stammered.

Jack just pulled her back in for another hungry kiss.

Donna was beginning to wonder if it was possible to fall in love within an hour.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"DOCTOR? ROSE? ARE YOU HERE?" Donna shouted as she and Jack entered the hospital, hand in hand. Donna was actually beginning to understand why the Doctor always held Rose's hand, especially if it feels like this, as if the hand was made to hold hers. "COME ON SPACE-MAN WE CAUGHT YOUR SIGNAL!"

The doors opened and the Doctor hurried out with Rose.

"Good evening I'm Captain Jack Harkness and who are you?" Jack asked taking Rose's hand and kissing it. Donna stomped on his foot. "OW!"

"She is Rose Tyler and she is taken." Donna said firmly. Jack leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry gorgeous she won't take your place" he said to her before shaking the Doctor's hand. "I have been hearing all about you on the way here Mr Spock" he then went off dragging Donna with him.

"I think Donna has just gotten herself a boyfriend" Rose said thoughtfully watching the pair.

"Mr Spock?!" the Doctor said looking shocked and confused.

"Well what else is she supposed to say? It's not like you have a name" Rose said rolling her eyes. "Don't you ever get tired of the Doctor? Doctor Who?"

"I used that name for nine centuries. Now how the hell did Donna get a date during a blitz?" the Doctor said. "Especially one that must be either deaf or mentally damaged to want to go out with her" Rose elbowed him in the ribs. "OW! You have been spending too much time with Donna I think"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Jack was scanning one of the gas masked bodies. "This is impossible" he announced. "How could this have happened?"

"How did a Chula ship land here?" the Doctor asked.

"What?" Jack said distractedly.

"The Chula warship of yours, I only just told him about it" Donna explained softly. "You said you parked it somewhere out there and a bomb was going to land on it unless we make you an offer"

"What kind of warship?" the Doctor pressed.

"Does it matter!" Jack shouted. "It has nothing to do with this!"

"This started at the bombsite, it's got everything to do with it!" Rose shrieked. "So tell him what kind of ship!"

"An ambulance!" Jack shouted rubbing his face, he groaned and held out his wrist showing a hologram. "Look this is what you followed through the vortex, I's space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable, it's empty I am sure of it nothing but a shell. I threw it at you, saw your vehicle, love the retro look by the way, nice panels by the way. I threw you the bait-"

"Bait?" Donna said quietly.

Jack groaned. "Donna please-"

"You're a conman" Donna said quietly looking hurt. "What was I then? A cheap floozy to con? Something that was in the way of what you wanted? Am I nothing to you?"

"NO!" Jack roared grabbing hold of Donna's shoulders. "I meant what I said. You are worth everything. But I am a conman and I thought you were Time Agents but you're not are you?"

"No just a bunch of freelancers" Donna said quietly.

"I sort of gathered, you weren't trying to blend in with that short skirt. And Flag-Girl and U-Boat Captain over there" Donna giggled slightly as the Doctor looked annoyed. "You aren't nothing to me" Jack promised.

"Just say you're sorry" Donna said looking at him in the eye.

"I am so sorry" Jack said sincerely.

Donna beamed. "Good enough" she said tip-toeing to kiss him quickly on the lips. The Doctor felt his insides twist, this was him and Rose. Him and Rose after she messed up. How could Donna fall so easily and be so open about it? He was envious of her being like that.

He coughed loudly to get their attention. Jack turned to face them. "I swear this has nothing to do with the ship"

"What exactly is happening here Doctor?" Donna asked.

"Human DNA is being rewritten by an idiot" the Doctor said.

"Oh what a surprise, another idiot to sort out" Donna said rolling her eyes. They were examining the other patients when suddenly they sat up calling for their Mummy. "What's happening?" Donna asked.

"I don't know" the Doctor admitted.

"Oh fat lot of use you are" Donna said sarcastically.

"Don't let it touch you" Rose warned them.

"Why what happens if we do?" Jack asked.

"You're looking at it" the Doctor answered.

"Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy" the people chanted as they closed in on them.

"Do something!" Donna shouted. "I don't want to end up asking for my mother all the time, she's a harpy!"


	11. Donna Dances

**Previously:**

"_Don't let it touch you" Rose warned them. _

"_Why what happens if we do?" Jack asked. _

"_You're looking at it" the Doctor answered. _

"_Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy" the people chanted as they closed in on them._

"_Do something!" Donna shouted. "I don't want to end up asking for my mother all the time, she's a harpy!"_

"Go to your room" the Doctor said sternly, the gas masked zombies paused. "Go to your room!" the gas masked zombies tilted their heads. "I mean it, I'm very, very angry with you. I'm very, very cross. Go. To. Your. Room." He pointed away from him as she barked out the last few words.

Suddenly all the gas masked zombies slowly trudged back to their beds with their heads hanging. The foursome sighed in relieve.

"I am so glad that worked" the Doctor said. "Those would have been terrible last words"

"Oh I don't know the words have you brought the milk dear could have been just as bad" Donna said shuddering.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Why are they all wearing gas masks?" Donna asked sitting beside one of the patients.

"They're not, those masks are flesh and bone darling" Jack said putting his feet up on the table. Donne stood up and pushed them off before storming back; Jack reached out and patted her bum causing her to jump slightly as she glared at him mockingly.

"How was your con supposed to have worked?" the Doctor asked trying not to strangle Jack. He didn't trust the man who won his sister's affections so easy.

"It's simple enough" Jack said putting his feet back on the table. "Find a valueless piece of space junk, let the nearest Time Agent trace it and get them to name a price. I get them to put 50% up front and oops a German bomb falls on it. So he never got to see what he paid for, he never knew he had been hustled and I buy him a drink with his money and we talk about dumb luck. The self cleaning con"

Donna stormed back and pushed Jack's feet of the table. "Oh yes its perfect" she said sarcastically.

"Oh come on sweetheart you have to admit it's good. Pompeii is good for a vacation but you have to set your alarm clock for volcano day" Jack chuckled but the stern faces on Donna's, the Doctor's and Rose's face shut him up.

"I'm getting a hint of disapproval" he said.

"Take a look around you. This is what your piece of harmless space junk did" the Doctor spat out.

"It was empty" Jack argued.

"Rose, Donna" the Doctor said taking Rose's hand.

"Are we getting out of here?" Rose asked.

"No upstairs" the Doctor said.

"It was programmed to not land on anyone" Jack shouted. "I don't know what's happening but I had nothing to do with it"

"I tell you what's happening. You forgot to set your alarm clock, its volcano day" the Doctor snapped.

A loud alarm was raised and everyone looked up at the ceiling. "What's that?" Rose asked.

"The all clear" Jack said quietly.

"I wish" the Doctor said bitterly storming out, dragging Rose with him. Donna looked at Jack with pity and held her hand out for him; he took it and ran out, pulling her with him.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"You got a blaster?" the Doctor asked Jack as he and Donna joined the Doctor and Rose up the stairs to a room.

"What, sure" Jack said feeling a bit confused.

"When your space junk landed on someone this was where they were taken" the Doctor informed Jack waving a hand to a steel door.

Jack pulled out a blaster and held it up to the door before pressing down on the button. Blue light and a humming sound came out. "What's wrong with your sonic screwdriver?" Rose murmured in the Doctor's ear.

"Nothing" the Doctor murmured back as Jack's blaster cut a neat square hole into the door opening it. "Sonic blaster, made in the 51st century weapon factory in Demiguard" the Doctor said knowledgeably.

"You've been to the factory?" Jack asked.

"Once"

"Well they're gone now, main reactor went critical" Jack said.

"Like I said, once" the Doctor said and Donna groaned she should have known the Doctor would have blown up a factory. "It's a banana grove now, I like bananas, bananas are good" he walked into the room and Rose followed.

"Nice pattern" she commented.

"Digital" Jack replied.

"Squarness gun" she said walking off. "I like it"

The Doctor turned the light on to reveal a room being ripped to pieces, the furniture thrown everywhere. "What do you think?" he asked.

"Something got out of here" Jack said.

"Yeah and?"

"Something powerful and angry" Donna said looking around.

"Powerful and angry" the Doctor agreed before fiddling with the machines. Jack, Donna and Rose wandered into the bedroom side and examined the childish pictures.

"A child?" Jack said disbelievingly. "Well I guess that explains Mummy"

"How could a child do this?" Donna asked.

The Doctor flipped a switch and the four of them listened to the tape. The child was being questioned but all it would talk about was his Mummy, kept asking for her.

"Doctor I heard this voice before" Donna said feeling tears build up in her eyes for this child.

"Me too" the Doctor said sadly.

"Always, are you my Mummy? Like he doesn't know" Rose said. "Why doesn't he know?" the Doctor began to pace. "Doctor?"

"Can you sense it?" the Doctor asked.

"Sense what?" Jack asked.

"It's in the walls, can't you feel it?!" the Doctor turned round to face them. "Funny little human brains how to do you get around?"

"Oi! Wanna have a slap?" Donna growled.

"Donna not now, I'm thinking" the Doctor snapped. He stopped. "There's these children living rough, they come out during the air raids looking for food. Suppose they were there when this thing, whatever it was landed"

"It was a med-ship. It was harmless" Jack said firmly.

"Yeah you keep saying harmless" the Doctor said rolling his eyes. "Suppose one of them was altered"

"Altered how?" Donna asked.

"I'm here"

"It's afraid, terribly afraid and powerful. It doesn't know it yet but it will do" the Doctor laughed coldly. "Got power of a god and I sent it to its room."

"Doctor?" Rose whispered.

"I'm here, can't you see me?"

"What's that noise?" Donna asked.

The Doctor's smile fell off. "End of the tape, it ended thirty seconds ago."

"I'm here now, can't you see me?"

"I sent it to its room. This is its room" the Doctor whirled round to see the little boy with his gas mask on.

"Are you my Mummy?" the boy looked at Rose. "Mummy?"

"At my signal, run for the door" Jack murmured mostly to Donna. "NOW!" he pulled out a banana and looked at it in surprise.

"Oh put it away, will ya?" Donna said rolling her eyes as the Doctor pulled out Jack's blaster and made a hole in the wall there them.

"Go now, go, go, go and don't drop the banana!" the Doctor yelled.

"Why not?" Jack shouted as they jumped out of the hole.

"Good source of potassium!"

"You're kidding me, right?" Donna said looking sceptical. "We're about to be turned into gas masked zombies and all he cares is about a flipping banana!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Jack re-filled the hole in the wall and it looked like there had been no hole there, he then talked to the Doctor about bananas when suddenly someone began punching the wall. The four of them ran only to almost run into more of the gas masked zombies, they ran the other way only to find more gas masked zombies and they were surrounded as the little boy kept punching a hole in the wall.

"Right I got a sonic disruptor, sonic cannon and a sonic blaster all rolled in one, Doc what have you got?" Jack asked while holding his blaster out pushing Donna behind him with one hand.

"I got...well never mind it's sonic" the Doctor said pulling out his sonic screwdriver. "Lets leave it at that"

"Cannon, disruptor, what?" Jack shouted.

"It's sonic, completely sonic" the Doctor stammered.

"A SONIC WHAT?"

"Oh for the love of god, he has a sonic screwdriver" Donna shouted. Jack turned to face the Doctor as the boy finally broke through the wall. Donna reached out and yanked Jack's hand down. "Going down" she said making a hole in the floor and the four fell through.

As they landed Jack resealed the hole and helped Donna up.

"Are you all right?" the Doctor asked Rose, helping her up.

"Could have used a warning but I'm fine" Rose said calmly.

"Who has a sonic screwdriver?" Jack said holding on to Donna tightly.

"I do!" the Doctor said pointing at himself.

"Who looks at a screwdriver and goes 'ooh this could be a little more sonic'" Jack said sarcastically. The Doctor can now see why Donna's sarcasm hadn't put this man off; the man was just as bad.

"Love this man looked at my toothbrush and said it could be more sonic" Donna said rolling her eyes. "Had to buy a new one because I was worried I might blow up a filling or something"

"Don't you people ever get bored?" the Doctor asked getting irritated. "Never had a long night, never had any cabinets to put up?" Rose found a light switch and turned the light on causing people to sit up and call for their Mummy.

"Door!" Jack said pulling Donna along with him as he ran to the door, he began to use his blaster but it didn't work. "Damnit! It's the special features they really drain the battery!"

"Battery!" Donna squawked. "My life depends on batteries, dear god I'm doomed"

The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to open the door and yanked Donna in, then Rose and then Jack before going in himself and locking the door with the sonic screwdriver.

"I would have sent for a new one but someone had to blow up the factory" Jack glared at the Doctor.

"Oh I know, when I met him he blew up my job that's how he says hello" Rose said rolling her eyes.

"The door should hold it for a bit" the Doctor said.

"The door? The wall didn't stop it!" Jack shouted.

The Doctor and Rose began to asses the situation and trying to work out how to get out.

"Right one we have to get out of here, two we can't get out of here...have I missed anything?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah, Jack and Donna have disappeared"

The Doctor whirled round to see the wheelchair Jack was sitting in empty and no sign of the mouthy redhead. "Son of a bitch" he muttered.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna staggered when she and Jack landed back in his ship. "Whoa darling, careful" Jack said grabbing hold of her.

She looked round. "How did we get back here?" she asked scanning the ship. "Why the hell didn't we take the Doctor and Rose with us?"

"Didn't have enough energy to take them as well" Jack shrugged going to the controls. "now if I work this out I can talk to them as I work out how to break them out" Donna leaned against the wall bored as Jack fiddled away, soon a crackling noise could be heard and Jack called through the walkie talkie thing on his console. "Doc, Rose can you hear me?" he called. "Me and Donna are back on my ship, I used the emergency teleport sorry I couldn't take you but I'm working on it, don't you worry"

"How are you speaking to us?" the Doctor asked.

"On comm. I can speak through anything with a speaker grill" Jack said pressing more buttons down.

"Now there's a coincidence" the Doctor murmured.

"What is?" Donna asked.

"The child can on comm. too" the Doctor said. "Anything with a speaker grill, even the TARDIS phone"

"So what he can phone us?" Rose asked sounding panicked.

"And I can hear you, time to find you, I'm going to find you" a little boy's voice sang out.

"Doctor can you hear that?" Jack asked.

"Loud and clear" the Doctor said.

"I'm going to find you Mummy" the little boy promised.

"I'm going to block the signal out, least I can do. Remember this one Donna?" Jack asked winking at her as he played the Glenn Miller they had just danced to earlier that evening. Jack pressed a few more buttons and grinned "HA! Brilliant only need to wait for a few minutes, ten top and they'll be here"

"So we just wait" Donna said calmly, walking slowly up to Jack. "For ten minutes and I don't think you have a crossword book here do you? Any suggestions on what I should do to occupy my time?"

"Well I guess I could find a crossword book" Jack said smiling slyly. "But that would mean I would have to go rummaging through all the storage" Donna suddenly straddled him and he winded his arms round her waist. "Sadly I'm far to comfortable to leave my chair"

"Screw the crossword book" Donna muttered leaning in closer.

"Much rather have you screw me" Jack growled pulling her lips down to his.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Rose was trying to dance with the Doctor as they talked about Jack. Rose believed that Jack was an all right bloke you can take care of Donna and told the Doctor about the nano-genes and how he had fixed Donna (something Donna told Rose while the Doctor and Jack were examining the patients) she accused the Doctor of being overprotective and jealous of Jack being...well Jack.

The Doctor managed to move them round in the slow dancing but not really dancing as he tried to tell her he was not being overprotective or jealous, he was just suspicious because nothing seemed right about Jack. Rose then suddenly gasped and whirled round. He turned to see Donna and Jack....

He yelped and turned round, feeling his ears turning red as he can hear Donna falling to the floor.

Jack looked like the cat that got the cream. "Most people notice when they've been teleported. You two sounded sweet together, what were you doing flirting at a time like this?"

"You can talk!" Rose laughed.

"We were dancing!" the Doctor protested. "And what were you doing here with Donna?"

"We were _dancing" _Jack winked.

"Until we got interrupted" Donna grumbled smoothing her skirt over her legs and re-buttoning her blouse.

"This is a Chula ship" the Doctor said looking around.

"Only this one is dangerous" Jack said pointedly to the Doctor. The Doctor clicked his fingers causing golden light surround his hand.

"Those things fixed my hands up" Donna said admiringly. "Pretty aren't they? They're nano-genes"

"Nano-genes, subatomic robots, there's millions of them here. See? Burnt my hand on the console, all better now" the Doctor said in his lecturing voice. "They check you over when you enter the ship. Check for all flaws that need fixing" he waved his hand and the golden light disappeared. "Take us to the crash site" the Doctor ordered Jack. "I need to check over that piece of space junk of yours"

"As soon as I can get the map comm. Back online" Jack promised swinging to face the controls. "Make yourself comfortable, carry on whatever it was you were doing before"

"We were talking about dancing!" the Doctor protested.

"Didn't look like talking" Donna said smirking.

"Didn't feel like dancing" Rose complained.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Jack led them to the crash site and after planning on how to distract the guard Jack went off to do so, the Doctor smugly told Donna that 51st century guys are more flexible causing Donna to slap him, hard. Much to Jack's horror Algie the guard turned into one of the gas masked zombies. The disease as they called it was becoming airborne and just then another air raid started. A bomb was going to be dropped on top of them very shortly.

And for some reason they could hear singing. They found Nancy handcuffed to the table and they set her free with the help of the sonic screwdriver before examining the so called space junk. Jack accidentally set an alarm off causing the gas masked zombies to come for them. The Doctor sent Jack to secure the gates and Rose to reattach the barbed wire Nancy broke to hold the gas masked zombies off before they get there.

The Doctor worked out that Jack accidentally let out nano-genes that had never seen a human being before and the first thing they did see was the little boy wearing a gas mask calling for his Mummy and decided while to heal him, they had to fix everyone else in the whole world to be like him. Nancy then spotted the gas masked zombies coming closer to them, their time was running out. The Doctor worked out that they had turned the boy into a Chula warrior and now so was everyone else that looked like him.

Nancy began to cry, the child's name was Jamie and he was just a little boy in her eyes. She thought it was all her fault when the Doctor tried to reassure her, the people began to call out Mummy to her and that was when the Doctor realised...

Nancy was the mother.

The bombs were getting closer to them. With the orders of the Doctor Jack gave Donna one last lingering kiss before teleporting out. They watched nervously as Nancy told Jamie that she was his mother and held him tightly as the nano-genes surrounded them. The nano-genes recognised Nancy as the mother and fixed Jamie back. The Doctor took of the mask and laughed happily as he began to twirl Jamie round in the air.

As the bomb came heading towards them, Jack's ship flew and stopped it using the same tractor beam he used to save Donna.

"Doctor!" Jack shouted.

"Good lad!" the Doctor shouted back.

"The bomb has been designated I put it under stasis but I won't last long"

"Change of plan don't need the bomb, can you get rid of it safely as you can?" the Doctor shouted.

"Donna!" Jack turned to face Donna. "I really did mean it darling, you're worth everything even this" Jack disappeared and the reappeared. "By the way Rose love the t-shirt" he once again disappeared. And his ship flew away.

The Doctor gathered the nano-genes and threw them to fix everyone. "Everybody lives Rose, EVERYBODY LIVES!" he shouted ecstatically.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor was completely hyper, he cheerfully told them how Nancy and Jamie will have a good life and he hinted that he brought Rose her red bicycle when she was twelve. He then told them to ask him anything.

"What about Jack?" Donna asked quietly. The Doctor's face fell and it told Donna everything. "Save him. For me, please" she begged a tear falling down her cheek.

The Doctor wiped the tear away. "No time for tears, blimey you humans waste too much time crying. Come on then, lets get that stupid Captain Pretty Boy of yours out of the mess he caused. Rose put on some Glenn Miller we're going to have a welcoming party"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Last time I was sentenced to death I ordered four hyper vodkas for breakfast, it was a bit of a blur after that woke up in bed with both of my executioners. Lovely couple, they stayed in touch" Jack pulled out the pickled egg out of his drink and munched on it. "Can't say that about most executioners. Anyway, thanks for everything computer, it's been great" he took a gulp of his drink.

"You finished feeling sorry for yourself now?"

Jack immediately spat out his drink and whirled round in his chair to see Donna leaning against the open door, Glenn Miller can be heard from behind her.

"D-D-D-Donna! What are you doing here?! You're going to get yourself killed!" Jack choked out.

"We're having a party, thought you want to join and laugh at the Doctor as he steps on Rose's feet" Donna said pulling him out of his chair and leading him into the TARDIS.

"OI! I take offense of that, I'm not doing to bad" the Doctor said gruffly.

Jack looked round in shock. "Yes it's bigger on the inside" Donna said rolling her eyes. "Close the doors will you? Your ship is going to blow up, there'll be a draft" Jack obeyed Donna as Rose told the Doctor off and walked away.

A much more cheerful song came on as the Doctor led Rose off into a dance, doing a hell lot better than before.

Jack grinned down at Donna. "May I have this dance?" he asked offering his arm.

"You may" Donna said taking his arm and allowed him to lead her into a dance.

At the exact same time the Doctor and Jack swung Donna and Rose down, their blonde and red hair mingled with each other's as they laughed joyfully.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna woke up to find herself rather sweaty and cuddled up to a very sweaty handsome man who happened to spent the best part of the 'night' showing her all of his moves. She smiled to herself and pressed a kiss on Jack's chest before climbing out of bed and wrapping herself in a dressing gown. A cup of coffee was in order, then a shower.

When Donna entered the kitchen the Doctor was in there helping himself to a cup of tea.

"Any chance of a coffee?" she asked.

"You and your blooming coffee" the Doctor grumbled making her a cup in silence as he passed her the cup he sat down and watched her carefully. "Why did you and Jack get it together so quickly?" he blurted out.

Donna shrugged and took a sip of her coffee. "Not sure why. He was charming, handsome, loved the same things as me...but I think he's the one"

The Doctor snorted. "You humans and your soul mates, all hogwash" he grumbled.

"But it's true" Donna insisted. "I knew because he hand fitted perfectly in mine. I never want to stop holding his hand"

The Doctor fell silent, he won't admit out loud but that was exactly how he felt about Rose.


	12. A Day Lost

For the first time since Donna joined the TARDIS, someone actually knocked politely on the door. Everyone looked up from their work/magazine/book in shock and turned to face the door, where there was another knock.

"Jack answer that will you?" the Doctor grunted.

"What am I, your slave?" Jack asked sarcastically as he stomped off to answer the door. He ripped open the door and leaned out. "Who the hell are you?"

"What do you mean who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?"

Donna groaned. "Great, Rickey the Idiot has returned." She put her book down and ignored Rose's pointed glare.

"Captain Jack Harkness, whatever you're selling we're not buying" Jack said as Donna slipped an arm round his waist.

"Sadly he's not a salesman love" she said. "Come on out of his way, the sooner he gets in the sooner he gets out"

The pair stepped aside for Mickey to come in. "I take it this is Mickey then" Jack said eyeing Mickey with distaste. "Not very polite is he?" he murmured in Donna's ear who shook her head in reply.

"Oh here comes trouble. Good to see you Rickey" the Doctor called from his position up on a ladder with a stupid looking light strapped to his head.

"It's Mickey"

"Don't listen to him, he's only winding you up" Rose said laughingly.

"You look fantastic" Mickey complimented her shyly before the pair hugged tightly.

"Ah sweet, why don't I get any of that?" Jack asked.

"Because you get this instead" Donna said waving a hand before her.

"Though how much you drank to get that I don't want to know" the Doctor hollered.

"You're just sexually repressed and completely envious that you don't have me in your bed" Jack said winking.

"I'm not sexually repressed, I just have standards" the Doctor shot back.

Mickey handed Rose her passport and she waved it around gleefully. "I can go anywhere now" she said.

"I told you, you don't need a passport" the Doctor said frowning.

"Not for Platform One or Justica or the glass pyramid of San Clean but what if we end up in Brazil? I might need it, see I'm prepared for anything" Rose grinned with her trademark grin and tongue sticking out childishly.

"Sounds like you're staying then" Mickey said sadly.

"Oh god here comes the oncoming cling on" Donna groaned under her breath, Jack poked her in the stomach.

"Be nice, he seems to be a sweetie" Jack murmured her.

"Yeah a sweetie pain in the bum" Donna muttered back as Mickey asked why they were in Cardiff.

"And what's with Captain Flash, I mean I don't mind you hanging out with big ears and ginger over there – "OI!" both Donna and the Doctor retorted – look in the mirror. But this guy I don't know he's..."

"Handsome?" Jack suggested. "Charming? Gorgeous? Sexy?"

Donna wrapped her arms round Jack's chest and rested her head on his shoulder. "Completely and utterly mine. If that'll put your mind to rest Rickey"

"Mickey"

"Whatever"

"We just dropped off, we need fuel" Rose explained rolling her eyes at Donna's antics. "You see Cardiff has this rift running through the city. It's invisible but it's like an earthquake fault but in different dimensions"

"The rift was sealed back in 1869" the Doctor carried on.

"Thanks to this girl called Gwyneth because these creatures called the Gelth were using the rift as a gateway but she saved the world and closed it" Donna interrupted.

"But closing the rift always leaves a scar and that scar generates energy, harmless to the human race" Jack said.

"But perfect for the TARDIS, I just park here for a couple days and open up the engines so she could-"

"Soak up the radiation" Jack interrupted.

"Like petrol for the car" Donna said.

"And off we go" Rose carried on.

"Into time!" Jack finished off and the four high-fived one another. "And space" the four shouted together laughing.

"My god have you seen yourselves?" Mickey said looking shocked and scared. "You all think you're so clever don't you?"

"Yep"

"Yeah"

"Yeah"

"Anyone is clever compared to you Rickey" Donna said smugly pinching Mickey's cheek.

"Mickey" Mickey corrected.

"Whatever" Donna, Jack, Rose and the Doctor mumbled.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

After a general talk about why the TARDIS looked like the way it did the four of them skipped off to find some entertainment with Mickey lagging behind like a lost stray. Rose's arm was linked through the Doctor's as she occasionally rested her head on his shoulder and Donna's arm was wrapped round Jack's waist as he wrapped his arm round her shoulders.

Mickey was beginning to feel like the fifth wheel, not needed, and not wanted, nothing but a back up...god that's depressing.

They ended up in a cafe on the docks and enjoyed a good meal as Jack retold a story that had them all in laughter, that was when the Doctor's smile faded and he walked up and snatched someone's newspaper from them. Everyone turned to look at him with concern.

"And I was having such a nice day" he muttered holding the paper up to reveal a photo of someone Donna hadn't seen for months...the face of a human the Slitheen was possessing.

"Early 21st century in Cardiff with the wind blowing east. Safest place ever" Donna quoted the Doctor sarcastically. "Come off it! When is anywhere safe with you?"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The four of them marched side by side determinedly into the mayors building, Mickey lagging behind them; Jack took his gloves and unzipped his jacket as he spoke.

"According to intelligence the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorius mass rating high, hiding in a human skin suit. Ok plan attack we assume a basic 5756/ covering all the exits on the ground floor. Doctor you go face to face, I'll cover exit 2, Rose you exit 3 and Donna exit four. You all got that?"

"Excuse me?" the Doctor said looking annoyed. "Who's in charge?"

Jack rolled his eyes as Donna coughed to hide her laugh. "Sorry awaiting orders, sir" he said standing up straight.

"Right here's the plan." The Doctor started off sternly, he then grinned cheekily at Jack. "Like I said nice plan, anything else?"

"At arms" Jack said everyone pulled out their mobile and said ready. "Redial?" again everyone worked in unison. "See you in hell"

The four began to walk off when Mickey yelled after them. "What about me?" the four paused and stared at each other.

"You Rickey can stand there and look pretty" Donna said after a moment's pause and everyone agreed loudly before walking off.

"Goddamnit it people I'm not stupid!" Mickey shouted after them, it was just bad luck he tripped backwards and fell down the stairs.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Slitheen heading north" the Doctor said into his mobile.

"On my way" Rose called out.

"Over and out" Jack barked.

"She's not getting away this time" Donna said fiercely before hanging up and running. She smoothly dodged the cleaning cart and carried on running, as she got down to the gate she was guarding, Margret the Slitheen was running towards her.

"Donna grab her quick!" Jack hollered.

Margret pressed down on something and disappeared before Donna could be within grabbing length. "Damn!" she cursed.

"That's teleport! That's cheating" Jack whined. "Now we're never going to get her!"

"Oh the Doctor's very good at teleports" Rose reassured him.

Margret suddenly appeared again with the press of the sonic screwdriver, this time Donna grabbed hold of the woman and jumped her back causing the woman to fall on her knees.

"This is prosecution, why can't you leave me alone?" Margret complained. "What have I ever done to you?"

"You killed a man in front of me, tried to kill me, tried to kill my friends, tried to destroy my planet, shall I continue?" Donna said tightening her grip on the woman.

"No" Margret said sulkily.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They went into the boardroom and began to examine Margret's model of the nuclear station. They figured out quickly that the nuclear station was designed to explode, Rose asked why no one in London had noticed and Margret complained loudly that they wouldn't have cared. Donna found it amusing that an alien had gone welsh and Mickey accused her of not even being a her, which made Donna slap him. Margret may have tried to destroy the planet but she was still a person, still had feelings. The Doctor pulled a small metal surfboard looking thing out from beneath the plastic model.

Jack got excited over it and blurted its name out so quickly that Donna didn't know what it was.

"You didn't build this" he accused Margret.

"I have my hobbies" Margret shrugged.

"No you _really _didn't build this, it's way beyond you" Jack said glaring at Margret before touching the metal thing gently almost like a lovers caress.

"Shall we leave you two alone, love?" Donna said ignoring Mickey accusing Margret of stealing it. "Is it a weapon or something?"

"Transport. Think about it, the rift explodes, total cosmic disaster. But this thing shrouds you into a force field" he stepped on it. "You have this energy bubble, so zoooooooom you're safe, you set the co-ordinates, stand on it and ride out the concussion throughout the whole solar system"

"It's a surfboard" Mickey exclaimed.

"A py-dimentional surfboard, yeah" Jack grinned.

"And it would have worked. I would have surfed out of this dead end dump and back into civilisation" Margret said bitterly.

"OI! Just because I defended you from Mickey doesn't mean I won't slap you either" Donna said glaring at the woman.

The Doctor who had been staring at the banner looked interested, confused and worried. Apparently the name of the power plant was Blaid Drewg, Welsh for Bad Wolf. Once again the words followed them. The Doctor then dismissed it as nothing, but Donna couldn't help but get the feeling it was more than nothing.

"Margret, we're taking you home" the Doctor said clapping his hands.

"Hang on isn't that the easy option?" Jack asked. "Like letting her go?"

"I don't believe it we actually get to go to raxa" Donna stumbled over the words and Rose stood there trying to help her, the Doctor rolled his eyes. "Raxcorico...Raxcorico..." Donna and Rose stammered together.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius" the Doctor said getting annoyed.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius" both Rose and Donna said together. They both shrieked and grinned as the Doctor pulled Rose into a bear hug and spinning her around.

"That's it!" he shouted, as Jack scooped Donna up for a celebratory kiss.

"They have the death penalty" Margret said quietly stopping them from laughing, Rose's smile faded. "They tried the Slitheen family in their absence many years ago and was found guilty. With no chance of appeal. According to the statue of government the moment I return I am to be executed. What do you make of that, Doctor? Take me home and you take me to your death"

"Not my problem" the Doctor said flatly.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"This ship is impossible, it's superb" Margret gasped. "How did you get the outside round the inside?" she asked looking round the TARDIS.

"Yeah tell you the secret" the Doctor mumbled sarcastically.

"I feel better being defeated. We didn't stand a chance, this is technology worth of a god" Margret enthused as she examined the console.

"Don't worship him. He would make a terrible god, beside he's ego is big enough" Donna said sitting herself down on the captain's chair. "Jack, how is everything going?"

"This is top of the range" Jack enthused causing Donna to roll her eyes. "Where did you get it?" he asked Margret.

"I don't know. Some airlock sale" Margret shrugged.

"Must have been one good heist" Jack sneered. He and the Doctor then went into a technical talk that Donna didn't understand a signal word off. But from what she could work out since they actually spoke plain English when saying it, was that they were stuck for twelve hours.

"And we have a prisoner. The police box is actually a police box" Rose giggled.

"You're not just the police though" Margret said dangerously. "Since you are taking me to my death, you are my executioners. Each and every one of you."

"Well you deserve it" Mickey said.

"You're very quick to say so, you're very quick to soak your hands with my blood and that makes you better than me how exactly?" she smirked. "Long night ahead" she sat herself next to Donna who immediately jumped up to Rose's side. "Let's see who can look at me in the eye" she looked at Mickey who turned away, then Rose who looked up to the ceiling, then Donna who immediately looked to the floor and Jack kept his eyes on his work.

But the Doctor looked up and met her eye.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor was watching Rose go off with Mickey, hand in hand. He sighed and looked rather dejected.

"So what's on?" Jack asked.

"Nothing!" the Doctor said quickly, standing up straight.

"Nothing my arse" Donna said who had been watching everything from over the Doctor's shoulder. "You shouldn't keep your distance from her. For Christ sake it's obvious to everyone how you feel. Just tell her and win her from the idiot!"

"I told you before Donna. I'm too old, too filled with anger and far too...alien to be with her"

"Beauty and the Beast" Jack said suddenly. "The Beast thought he wasn't good enough for Beauty but he won her anyway. You already got her affections Doc, go for it"

"Okay, first thing, my love life is nothing like a bloody fairytale, second didn't Belle (not Beauty get your fairytales right Harkness) end up with a handsome prince after the Beast died and turned into one?" the Doctor grumbled. "The chances of that happening is..." the Doctor trailed off.

"Is?" Jack prompted.

The Doctor thought about regeneration. If Rose was still with him when he regenerate...he could become something younger, handsome and much better than this old broken body. "Nothing" he muttered.

"I'm going to make a cuppa. Want me to make you one?" Donna asked.

"Yes please" the Doctor said going back to work.

"Extra strong for me love" Jack called after her as she wandered off to the kitchen.

After a few minutes looking through the fridge Donna had decided that there was definitely no milk left and growled under her breath. Picking up her coat she trudged back to the console room.

To find Margret and the Doctor missing.

"Where's the Doctor and Margret?" she asked Jack who was still touching that bloody metal shield thingy mcbob up much to her annoyance.

"Gone out for a date" Jack snickered. "Looks like the Doctor has no taste in with what he sleeps with"

Donna snorted. "And he says we have bad taste. We have no milk, I'll be back in a moment. You're all right with your new lady love?"

"Yes, I think I might call her Ursula. You be back soon, I want to make the most of having the TARDIS empty" Jack said.

"I thought you and Ursula would have wanted some alone time" Donna said innocently, avoiding the rag Jack threw at her as she ran out of the door laughing.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna was walking along the pavement bin a carrier bag was swinging in her hand when she was suddenly grabbed from behind and pushed up against a wall. She struggled and tried to scream but her captor had pressed a hand over her mouth.

"Shh..Donna it's me" a male voice hissed. She blinked and squinted her eyes to see Jack pressing up against her. She slapped his arm. "Ow what was that for?" Jack whined.

"For completely and utterly terrifying me Captain Stupid" Donna growled. "What are you doing here?"

"I missed you" Jack said sincerely as he nuzzled her hair. "I missed how you feel against me, I missed your voice, I missed your hair, and I missed how you smelt. God Donna I just missed you"

"I've only been gone for fifteen minutes" Donna laughed pulling Jack's face to look at her. Then she noticed what he was wearing, his 1940's clothes, not what he was wearing fifteen minutes ago. He had a couple more wrinkles round his eyes, his eyes, oh god his eyes were so old, almost like the Doctors. She sighed. "Jack you can't cross your timeline like this"

"I had to see you" Jack said threading a hand in her hair. "It's been so long for me. I needed to see you and talk to you before you go off with my younger self and have adventures"

"Do I die?" Donna asked biting her lip anxiously.

"NO!" Jack burst out. "No sweetheart, you are so alive. Everyone lives, I promise" Jack then bent down and kissed her fiercely. She felt him slip something into her mouth, not his tongue, something small and minty and she willingly swallowed. Jack pulled away and smiled at her sadly. "I'm so, so sorry sweetheart. I had to slip you the pill. You don't remember this or the whole day in fact"

Donna suddenly felt sluggish. "Bastard" she muttered.

"I had to. To preserve the timeline, you don't remember anything about this day" Jack kissed her quickly on the lips. "I do love you"

She then ran.

The ground was shaking beneath her, she can tell but she carried on running. She ran past someone who was yelling, she was sure, probably Mickey by the sounds of it. She ran and ran until she was in the TARDIS and the moment she closed the door, she saw a Slitheen hand on a human body holding Rose hostage.

And then that was when the drug took over and she fell to the floor.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna woke up to and groaned at the bright lights of the Med-Bay shining above her. She turned over and buried her head into her pillow.

"You're awake!" Jack cried out looking relived.

"Shut up!" Donna moaned. "My head feels like it's been run over by a heard of elephants, a heard of Slitheen and the TARDIS had a good go as well" she heard a cough and turned over to see the Doctor and Rose by the door looking concerned. "How much did I drink this time?" Donna asked closing her eyes.

"Nothing" the Doctor said. "Someone drugged you"

Donna's eyes shot open and she sat up immediately. "WHAT?!"

"Donna, what do you remember yesterday?" Rose asked nervously.

"Landing on random alien planet, getting arrested, running for our lives, TARDIS needed fuel...that's all. Why?" Donna said thoughtfully.

"Because that was the day before yesterday" the Doctor growled looking infuriated. "Yesterday we spent the whole day in Cardiff stopping the last remaining Slitheen from destroying the planet again. You came into the TARDIS when the Slitheen was holding Rose hostage and passed out"

Donna crossed her arms. "I do not faint! You are lying, I would have remembered going to _Cardiff _because no matter how much I try can never forget that bog hole."

The other three snickered before the Doctor turned serious again. "You were drugged with retcon, someone didn't want you to remember anything about yesterday. I don't know who but when I find out they better run the other way"

Meanwhile, somewhere deep underground in Cardiff Jack Harkness gulped as he remembered the Doctor's threat and shuddered as he hoped the Doctor would forget everything by the time he sees him again.

Also if Donna ever finds out then Jack has to thank every deity that he is immortal.


	13. Bad Wolf

Donna groaned loudly and clutched the temples of her head as she rolled over. She was lying on something soft and grassy; the sweet sickly smell of grass in the summer was overwhelming her senses. She can't remember what she did the night before, knowing her luck she got piss drunk, tripped and landed in a ditch...again.

She can feel someone shaking her on the shoulder, trying to wake her up. "Hey darling, you got to wake up, we'll be on air soon"

"Jack, I said no, I need at least eight hours sleep before we can shag" she mumbled pushing the person away.

Someone chuckled. "Darling I'm not Jack"

She shot up in horror only to realise that a. She was dressed and b. There were cameras and crewmen her relieve turned into anger.

"I WILL NOT STAR IN A PORN SHOW, YOU GOT THAT BUDDY?!" she shrieked poking the half naked black man that had woken her up.

The man stuttered. "M-m-miss, this isn't w-w-what you think i-i-it is, it's completely n-n-non-sexual."

Donna had only just realised how bloody hot it was, her blouse was sticking to her back and she could feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "Where are we?" she asked looking around at the jungle around her.

"We're supposed to be in some far away jungle planet" the man said sighing in relieve when he realised Donna wasn't going to kill him...yet. "But one of the crewmen admitted to me we're on floor 356 on the Gamestation"

"Gamestation?" Donna questioned.

"Giant TV broadcasting satellite that's orbiting Earth. Blimey where have you been Raxacoricofallapatorius?" the man laughed.

"Well actually I went there last month, dropped off a little baby egg that we found" Donna said shrugging. "So we're on TV, but what show exactly?"

Suddenly the lights got brighter and the cameramen zoomed in on a robot in a suit with a rather large ant looking thing on its shoulder. "Hi I'm DecBot" the robot grated out.

"And I'm RoboAnt" the ant robot said.

"And we have a new contestant today on our show, Donna Noble, Welcome to I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here" DecBot said.

"But I'm not a celebrity" Donna protested weakly.

The man that woke her up chuckled. "You are now"

"You. Have. Got. To. Be. Fucking. Kidding. Me." Donna said slowly.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

It was so bloody hot in this fake jungle that Donna was down to wearing a skirt that someone from the crewmen handed her and a baggy t-shirt tied up above her navel. Her red hair was clipped back and she was now sitting round the fake waterfall, that felt so very real as the four last remaining members sat together.

"So where abouts are you from darling?" the black man that woke Donna up who told her moments ago that his name was Kingsley.

"Chiswick, London, UK, Earth" Donna recited. "But I'm not sure how I got here. One minute I was on the TARDIS and then...then there was this golden light and I felt...like well I was being dragged by some sort of force...?"

"That would be the transmat" Poppy a fifty year old woman who had enough plastic surgery to rival Michael Jackson, said. "You might be a bit sick later. I was vomiting for days"

"That was because you were too used to rich food" Dav grumbled darkly.

"And you're all celebrities" Donna said slowly.

"What? Me a celebrity, not in this lifetime" Dav snorted. "We're normal average people. They wouldn't dare harm a hair on their precious real celebrities, who by the way are no where near Earth to get transmitted here. we live here and we fight to survive, we're lucky to live another day"

"Don't you think you're being a bit melodramatic?" Donna asked raising an eyebrow.

"He's not joking ginger" Gina sneered. "It's literally a fight of the fittest. You have to do the task or you die. The task might kill you but if it does then at least the others can eat and live relatively well"

"Who are you calling ginger?" Donna growled glaring at Gina.

"Celebrities, you have a task to do" DecBot said suddenly appearing behind them causing Donna to yelp. "One of you must eat a variety of poisonous plants so everyone else can eat properly for a week and we decided on....Dav!"

"Hang on!" Donna shrieked. "Don't the team pick out who's doing the tasks?"

"Ginger, I don't know what show you're watching but it's not I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here" Gina snorted as she, Kingsley and Poppy said there goodbyes.

Donna walked away slowly and closed her eyes. She refused to watch this man eat poison with no cure by the sounds of it just so she can eat.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Within two hours after Dav's body was incinerated it was night time, apparently in the jungle what feels like an Earth day is actually a week worth of days, people don't often sleep at the nights and they sit around talking. Donna refused to talk to any of them, they let the man died and no matter how many times they tell her it's necessarily if he didn't die they would, she ignored them. soon the new 'day' started and the DecBot with it's RoboAnt came up to them.

"We have another task, this time one of you has to be sacrificed to a giant spider so everyone else can have toiletries"

Donna swallowed nervously.

"We picked...Donna Noble"

"Oh fuck" Donna whispered going pale. She hated spiders, hated them with a passion.

They had tied her down to a rock and slowly released a giant, hairy, black, evil red eyed tarantula like spider from a metal cage; it began to crawl towards her as she screamed.

"HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP! DOCTOR! ROSE! JACK! ANYONE PLEASE HELP!" she was beginning to cry, everything was getting to her, the heat, the loss of her friends, the lack of knowledge of where exactly she was and where her friends were, the death of Dav and the fact a giant spider was going to eat her. "HEEEEEEEELP!"

Suddenly the spider blew up and she was covered in blood.

Jack was standing on a rock grinning insanely as he held up a giant gun. "Missed me sweetheart?"

"GET ME OUT OF HERE NOW!!!!" Donna screamed tugging at her bonds.

"But you look wonderful tied down, all sexy and-"

"Save it for the bedroom Harkness, if you don't get me out of here within five seconds you'll have more concerns than finding Rose and the Doctor, stopping this homicidal robots from killing us and figuring out where the TARDIS is"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Where's the Doctor?" Donna asked tapping her foot impatiently in the lift as Jack typed in codes into his vortex manipulator. "We can't hang about here all day; they might put us back in those horrifying shows!"

"Two hearts, that's him. But which floor!" Jack grumbled ignoring Donna.

"Are you listening to a word I just said?" Donna snapped.

"Sorry sweetheart, I was trying to get a lockdown on the Doctor" Jack said apologetically.

"And have you?"

"Yes I have" Jack pressed down a button on the lift and the doors closed on them.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Hey handsome good to see you, any sign of Rose?" Jack called after the Doctor, who was trying to push a hysterical Donna who was clinging to his neck off.

"Can't you track her down?" he asked giving up trying to push Donna off and giving her a gruff hug in return.

"She must still be in the games, the rooms are shielded. The only reason I managed to track Donna was because some idiot left the door open" Jack said rolling his eyes.

"I got to get inside this computer. It'll find her" the Doctor said handing Donna back to Jack as he bent down and carried on fiddling with the computer.

"Well you better hurry up Space-Man, these games don't have a happy ending" Donna said.

"You think I don't know that!" the Doctor snapped.

"Jeesh don't get your panties in a twist, we'll find her" Donna said softly, trying to reassure the Doctor.

Jack passed him his vortex manipulator. "Patch this in; it's programmed to find her."

"Thanks"

"Hello, I'm Captain Jack Harkness and this is Donna Noble my girlfriend" Jack said, starting of flirty and finishing off flatly as he spoke the rehearsed extra line that Donna taught him. He offered a hand to the blonde.

"Lynda Moss" Lynda said shaking his hand.

"Good to meet you Lynda Moss" Jack said flirty.

"Stop flirting" the Doctor and Donna said.

"I'm only saying hello"

"For you that's flirting" the Doctor grumbled. "Your 'How Are Yous' are usually a snog"

"Not that I'm complaining" Lynda said.

"Well I am" Donna growled.

The Doctor snarled infuriated as he hit the computer. "Not compatible, stupid, stupid thing!" Jack helped the Doctor take the cover off and once again they went into technical speak; from what Donna could make out there was something other than TV being broadcasted. "The whole Bad Wolf thing has been manipulating my life, it's a trap to get me and Rose is tied up in it" well, well, well, apparently Bad Wolf has showed it's name again. "Found her! Floor 497!"

Lynda gasped. "Oh my god she's with the Annedroid, you got to get her out of there!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"ROSE!" the Doctor shouted as they burst through the door. "I order you to end this game, NOW!"

"DOCTOR!" Rose screamed. "Be careful, the Annedroid" she began to run to them, when suddenly the Annedroid's mouth opened up and a laser shot out and hit her, she screamed and when the light cleared up...nothing but ashes.

"ROSE!" Donna screamed as the Doctor fell to his knees, his fingers sifting through the ashes and dusts. "YOU BASTARDS! SHE WAS ONLY NINETEEN!" she charged at one of the producers and began to claw at him, Lynda was trying to pull her back as Jack shouted at the men as well.

Guards came out and grabbed hold of them, handcuffing them. "Ma'am, I'm arresting you under..." she tuned out her voice when she looked over the Doctor and saw the emptiness in his eyes.

They were taken to a cell; the guards kept questioning the Doctor.

"Just leave him alone!" Donna snapped, the guard grabbed her jaw and held it shut. She glared at him before reaching out to slap him, Jack snatched her hand down.

"Don't" he whispered. "Not yet"

They had their photos taken and were told they were going to be taken to the Luna Minefield without trial. As the guard was leaving the cell the Doctor turned round to Jack and Donna.

"Let's do it"

They got up and Donna leaped onto the guards back, causing him to stumble back in as she grabbed hold of his head and whacked it hard against the wall knocking him out, she moved out of the way before he fell on top of her and ran out of the cell where the Doctor and Jack already knocked out the other guards.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They strolled in holding guns. The room was lit in a blue light as a bunch of people sat or stood round a girl with wires attached to her head.

"Ok, move away from your desk" Jack called. "Don't try anything clever, go to the sides and stay there"

The Doctor stood in front of the girl and lifted his gun up, taking the safety off. "Who's in charge of this place?" he snarled. "This satellite is more than a Gamestation. Who killed Rose Tyler?"

"All staff is reminded-"

"I want an answer!"

"Delta point one" the girl finished ignoring the Doctor.

"She can't reply" a man said stepping forwards, the Doctor holds his gun at him and he backs away. "Don't shoot!"

"Oh don't be so thick, like I was going to shoot" the Doctor said chucking the gun at the man who caught it nervously. He turned to Jack and Donna. "We got more guards coming, secure the exits"

"Yes sir!" Jack said, dragging Donna away to the console and started to press buttons and type in codes. "How are you darling?"

"She's gone" Donna whispered feeling tears build up. "My best friend is gone forever"

Jack squeezed her hand. "You got us, we'll keep the Doctor together" he said reassuringly. "Doors sealed we should be safe for about ten minutes" Jack called over to the Doctor.

"Keep an eye on them" the Doctor shouted.

Jack began to do a scan when a red light beeped behind them. both he and Donna walked off slowly and Donna reached out to put her hand into the hand print door.

"You're not allowed in there achieve six is out of bounds" a female staff member shouted.

Donna snatched up a gun and held it up. "Do I look like an out of bounds sort of girl? Trust me come nearer and I'll do more damage to you without the gun" she gave Jack his gun back and firmly pressed her hand against the hand print and waited before the door opened before dashing in.

The sight she saw made her sigh in relieve as she ran up to the TARDIS and pressed a quick kiss against the blue wood. She was so glad to be home again, Jack pulled out his key and let them in; she ran into the TARDIS and found her flip flops already waiting for her near the console.

"Thank you" she murmured to the TARDIS as she slipped her feet into the flip flops, being bare footed in a metal floored place was nasty.

Jack checked out the monitor on the console and his face turned into shock. "What the hell?" he said.

"What is it?" Donna asked.

"Rose is alive" Jack whispered. "God Donna, Rose is alive!"

"But how?" Donna asked a smile forming on her face. "We saw her get vaporised"

"No time, we have to tell the Doctor!" Jack grabbed her hand and they ran as quickly as they could.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"We found the TARDIS" Donna said. "And you'll never guess what we found out"

"Lynda be a dear and stand over there" Jack said

"I just want to go home" Lynda said shaking her head.

"It'll only take a moment" Jack said gritting his teeth. "Now please as quick as you can." Lynda ran over to the spot Jack had pointed to. "Everyone watching, ok, three, two, one" he pressed down on a button and Lynda disappeared in a flash of light as a laser hit her.

"But you killed her!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"You would think so, wouldn't you" Donna said raising an eyebrow. Jack pressed down on another button and Lynda suddenly appeared at the Doctor's side, staggering.

"What the hell was that?" Lynda asked clutching her forehead.

"It's a transmat beam" Jack said. "Not a disinigrator, a second transmat beam, people don't get killed in the games, and they get taken across space. Doctor, Rose is still alive"

"Aha!" the Doctor shouted pulling Jack and Donna into a bone breaking hug. "You two are fantastic"

Donna pulled away. "The poison that people had to eat, it was probably some sleeping draught. Their bodies weren't destroyed, they were sent across space under drugs. The other tasks looked dangerous but something told me the spider I was almost fed to wasn't going to eat me" she said thoughtfully, remembering the show she was stuck on.

"Nah more like give you a nip and put you to sleep" Jack said laughing.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"She's out there somewhere" the Doctor said running round trying to find Rose's co-ordinates.

"Doctor, the co-ordinates are" the blonde girl wired to the computers called out "Eight point six seven, nine" her voice got higher as she grew hysterical.

"Don't the solar flare is overheating you!" the Doctor shouted. But it was too late she screamed and disappeared, the wires falling everywhere. "They took her" he murmured.

The male staff member passed Jack a computer chip with all the numbers and co-ordinates he kept over the years.

"Nice, Captain Jack Harkness by the way" Jack said flirtatiously as he shook the man's hand.

"I'm Davish Papal" Davish said enthusiastically.

"Nice to meet you Davish Papal" Jack said winking. Donna stomped on his foot and he groaned. "And this is my girlfriend Donna" he added.

"There is a time and a place" the Doctor said frowning at the two.

"You're saying this is a set up all along" the female said to the Doctor.

"Going way back, installing the Jaggafess a hundred years ago. Someone's been playing a long game, controlling the human race from behind the scenes for generations."

Jack passed the Doctor his sonic screwdriver. "Click on this" the Doctor did so and a screen of a galaxy appeared. "The transmat delivers to that point. Right on the edge of the solar system"

"There's nothing there" the female said.

"Correction sweetheart it looks like there's nothing there" Donna said.

"Donna's right, that's what this satellite does, it looks like there's nothing but underneath it hiding..."

"Hiding what though?" Donna asked.

"No idea but if I cancel out the signal" the Doctor pressed a few buttons and suddenly a large spaceship appeared on the screen. The Doctor looked even more terrified as more ships appeared.

"It's impossible" Jack said looking as horrified as the Doctor. "I know those ships, they were destroyed"

"Obviously they survived" the Doctor muttered.

"Who are they?" Donna asked.

"Two hundred ships more than two thousand onboard each one, that's just about half a million of them"

"Half a million of what?" Donna shouted getting frustrated.

"Daleks"

"But the last one died, I was there, it killed itself" Donna babbled. Before the Doctor could answer the screen changed to Rose and a few daleks surrounding her. "Rose" Donna whispered horrified.

"I will talk to the Doctor" a dalek grated out.

"Oh will you, that's nice, hello" the Doctor gave a mocking wave to the dalek.

"The dalek stratum is almost complete, the fleet is ready, you will not intervene" the dalek instructed the Doctor.

"Oh really, and why is that?" the Doctor asked.

"We have your associate. You will obey or she will be ex-terminated"

"No" the Doctor said in a dark and quiet voice. Everyone turned to look at him and Donna looked like she was going to slap him.

"Explain yourself" the dalek ordered.

"I said no"

"What is the meaning of this negative?!"

"It means no, bloody hell are you deaf or something?" Donna snarled.

"But she will be destroyed" the dalek threatened.

"NO!" the Doctor stood up. "Because this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to rescue her, I'm going to save Rose Tyler in a middle of a dalek fleet and then I'm going to save the Earth. And just to finish off I'm going to wipe every last stinking dalek out of the sky!"

"But you have no weapons, no defences and no plans!" the dalek argued.

"Yeah" the Doctor said with a dark grin on his face. "And doesn't that scare you to death? Rose?"

"Yes Doctor?" Rose called looking up at the Doctor with love and admiration.

"I'm going to get you" the Doctor promised turning of the screen with his sonic screwdriver.

Donna turned to face Jack. "We're doomed" she said.


	14. Parting of Ways

**Previously:**

"_NO!" the Doctor stood up. "Because this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to rescue her, I'm going to save Rose Tyler in a middle of a dalek fleet and then I'm going to save the Earth. And just to finish off I'm going to wipe every last stinking dalek out of the sky!"_

"_But you have no weapons, no defences and no plans!" the dalek argued._

"_Yeah" the Doctor said with a dark grin on his face. "And doesn't that scare you to death? Rose?"_

"_Yes Doctor?" Rose called looking up at the Doctor with love and admiration._

"_I'm going to get you" the Doctor promised turning of the screen with his sonic screwdriver._

_Donna turned to face Jack. "We're doomed" she said._

The Doctor grabbed hold of Donna and pulled her along, Jack running after them as the Doctor marched determinedly to the TARDIS. The moment the three entered the Doctor began to bark orders.

"Jack, hold that down, Donna I want you to press that and when I say let go, press this" he said running to the console and starting the dematerialisation sequence. Within two minutes the TARDIS was shaking as it sped through space. "Donna let go!" the Doctor shouted and Donna immediately pressed down on the button he asked her to.

"We got incoming!" Jack shouted. Donna fell to the floor as the TARDIS shook harder than ever before. "The strapulator is working, we got a full working force field. Try saying that when drunk"

"I think Donna already has" the Doctor said. "Off we go"

The TARDIS slowly materialised and Rose's image with a dalek grew stronger. "Rose get down!" Donna shrieked.

"Get down, Rose!" the Doctor shouted, Rose ducked as the dalek cried out it battle cry and let out a laser, Jack using his gun deflected the laser and killed the dalek instantly. Rose shivered when she heard the dalek scream.

The Doctor walked up to Rose and silently pulled her into a hug as they began to mumble to each other quietly, Donna turned to Jack with a cheeky grin.

"If you put that gun down, you could hug me if you want" she said.

"Why hug you when I can do this?" Jack asked threading his fingers through her hair and kissing her firmly.

"OI! Enough of that!" the Doctor growled. "You can make out after we save the universe"

"Is that a promise?" Jack asked flirtatiously causing the Doctor to roll his eyes and then the two pulled apart and Donna ran to Rose and hugged her tightly.

"Don't ever do that to me, you terrified me!" she admonished the younger woman.

"Yeah don't I get a hug?" Jack asked. Rose pulled away from Donna and opened her arms for Jack. "No I was talking to him" Jack said jokingly while pointing to the Doctor who was examining the dead dalek. Rose laughed and pulled Jack into a tight hug.

"Oh I thought I would never see you lot again" Rose said.

"You're just lucky I'm an oneshot wonder" Jack said. "Had a real good power supply but killing the giant spider and the dalek made it a piece of junk."

"You said they were extinct, how come they're still alive?" Rose asked the Doctor as the three of them surrounded the Doctor as he examined the dalek.

"One moment they were the greatest threat in the universe and the next they vanished out of the entire time and space" Jack said.

"They went off to fight a bigger war. The Time War" the Doctor said darkly as he stood up slowly.

"I thought that was just a legend" Jack said in awe of the Doctor.

"I was there. The war between daleks and Time Lord, the whole creation at stake. My people were destroyed but they took the daleks with them. I almost thought it was worth it. Now they died for nothing." The Doctor said staring at the dalek remains with empty eyes.

"Like cockroaches they are" Donna grumbled.

"They are thousands out there, we can barely stop one, what are we going to do?" Rose asked.

"No point standing around chin-wagging. Human race you go about it all day, Donna especially, daleks got the answers" the Doctor clapped his hands. "Let's go and meet the neighbours" he ran down the ramp.

"But you can't go out there!" Rose shouted after them as Jack and Donna ran after the Doctor.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"They survived through me" it was a deep, croaky voice, one that Donna would have associated with a toad and yet it sent shivers down her spine as the Doctor turned looking horrified and shocked to face a giant dalek.

He took slow steps towards it with the other three trailing behind him. "Rose, Donna, Captain. This is the Emperor of the daleks" he said quietly.

"You destroyed us Doctor" the Emperor said. "The dalek race died in your inferno but my ship survived. Lost in time, crippled but alive"

"Oh Boo Hoo" Donna said sarcastically.

"I get it" the Doctor said coldly.

"Do not interrupt, do not interrupt, do not interrupt, do not interrupt" the daleks chanted.

"Can't you lot just say shut up like normal people?" Donna asked raising an eyebrow up.

"I think you're forgetting something. I'm the Doctor and that is Donna Noble, is there one thing we can do is talk. Donna talks the most, never shuts up even if I ask her. I got five billion languages and no one is can stop me, so if anyone is going to shut up is YOU!" the Doctor roared the last word as he turned to face the daleks who rolled back in fear, he then turned back to face the Emperor. "Okey doke, so where were we?"

"We waited here, in the dark space. Damaged but rebuilding. Centuries past and we quietly infiltrated the systems of Earth, harvesting the waste of humanity, the prisoners, the refugees, the rest, they all came to us, the bodies were filtered and pumped and sifted, only one cell was worthy of being nurtured."

"That is revolting" Donna said disgusted.

"They made an army out of the dead" the Doctor stated.

"So that makes them...half human" Rose said quietly.

"Those words are blasphemy!" the Emperor roared.

"Do not blaspheme, do not blaspheme, do not blaspheme" the daleks chanted.

"Everything human has been purged" the Emperor said firmly. "I have cultivated pure and blessed dalek"

"Since when do the daleks have a concept of blasphemy?" the Doctor asked shocked.

"I reached into the dark and made new life. I am the god of all daleks" the Emperor shouted.

"Worship him, worship him, worship him" the daleks chanted.

"They're insane" the Doctor whispered.

"Nah, really? I would have never guessed" Donna said her voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Hiding for hundred of years in silence is enough to drive anyone mad. But it's worse than that, driven insane but your own flesh, the stench of humanity. You hate your own existence and that makes them more deadly than ever" the Doctor's voice was filled with pity, he turned to the Emperor. "We're going" he said.

As the four left side by side into the TARDIS the Emperor roared after them. "You will not leave my presence!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWD

They got back to the Gamestation, Earth has suspended the Gamestation licence and they can't send a message down. Earth was now defenceless. The Doctor ordered for the transmat beams to be shut down so the daleks couldn't go onboard. A hundred people were also stranded on floor zero and Donna noticed the jealous look on Rose's face when the Doctor acted concerned for Lynda, she gave her blonde friend a comforting squeeze on the hand.

The Doctor began to pull out wires and bits of metal and plastic excitedly explained how he was going to stop the daleks. By using a Delta Wave, something that was going to fry every living being's brains. Jack set up a force shield to stop the daleks from blowing the Gamestation out of the sky but it couldn't stop them from physically entering the Gamestation. However the Doctor's defence were four people with guns, Rose and Donna were requested to stay and assist the Doctor. Lynda said goodbye to the Doctor in her annoying hero worshipful way that had actually made Donna want to puke.

"It's been fun" Jack said. "But I guess this is goodbye"

"Don't talk like that!" Rose chided him as Donna tried not to tremble at the idea of never seeing Jack Harkness again. "The Doctor is going to stop it, you just watch and see"

"Rose" Jack said cupping Rose's head. "You are worth fighting for" he then pressed a kiss on her lips. Rose bit her lip. Jack turned to face the Doctor. "I wish I never met you Doctor" he cupped the Doctor's face. "I was much better off as a coward" he then pressed a kiss on the Doctor's lips before turning to Donna and pulling her into a tight hug. "You are worth every single star, I am proud to die for you Donna Noble" he whispered into her ear before kissing her.

She kissed back desperately, her hands pulling at his hair as his slipped under her t-shirt. The Doctor coughed loudly and they pulled away gasping and flushed.

"See you in hell" Jack said to the three of them before running off.

"He's going to be all right" Rose said trying to reassure Donna and herself. The Doctor turned to face Rose with a sad expression. "Isn't he?" Rose's voice squeaked.

Donna let one tear roll down her cheek before going back to business.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They were fiddling with bits of metal when Rose spoke up. "Suppose..."

"What?" Donna asked watching Rose curiously.

"Nothing" Rose mumbled.

"You said suppose" Donna pressed Rose.

"No I was just thinking, I mean obviously the Doctor can't but...we have a time machine, why can't we go back to last week and warn them?" Rose blurted out quickly.

"Soon as the TARDIS lands it becomes part of the events, part of the timeline" the Doctor said calmly.

"Yeah thought it would be something like that" Rose mumbled.

"There's another thing the TARDIS can do" the Doctor said distractedly. "It can leave, we can let history take its course. Go to Marbella in 1989"

"Yeah but you'd never do that" Donna pointed out crossing her arms.

"No but one of you could ask" the Doctor said, he looked up at the pair. "It never occurred to the pair of you did it"

"No, maybe we're too good" Rose said shrugging. The Doctor smiled fondly at the pair when a small whooshing noise caught his attention.

"The Delta Wave has started building, how long does it need" he got up and ran to the controls, Donna and Rose following. He froze.

"Is it bad?" Rose asked. The Doctor flopped his head against the controls. "Ok it's bad, how bad is it?"

The Doctor suddenly got up and grinned. "Rose Tyler you're a genius!" he pressed a kiss on her forehead. "We can do it! If I use the TARDIS to cross my own timeline...yes!" he ran into the TARDIS, Rose and Donna following. "Hold that down into position, Donna you hold that down and don't even think of letting it go. Now since I'm clever, more than clever, I'm brilliantly clever I can save the world...or rip it apart"

"Fingers crossed for the first one then" Donna said rolling her eyes.

"Now I got to go out and power up the Gamestation, you two hold on" the Doctor ran out and the doors shut firmly behind him. It took four seconds the most when the TARDIS engines started.

"Son of a bitch!" Donna cursed letting go. "He's sending us home!" Rose flew down the ramp and began to bang her fists against the door.

"Doctor let me out! Let me out! Let me out, let me out, let me out!" she screamed, tears falling fast on her face.

Donna began to sob silently to herself when suddenly a hologram of the Doctor appeared. "This is emergency program one. Rose and Donna listen, this is important, if this message is active then it can only mean one thing, we're in danger and I mean fatal. I'm dead or about to die with no chance of escape"

"NO!" both Rose and Donna shouted.

Donna went up to slap the hologram when the Doctor turned to face her general area. "You can't slap a hologram Donna. It's going to be ok, I hope it's a good death but I promised to look after you two. The TARDIS is going to take the pair of you home"

"Oh and you think we're going to sit back and relax do you Space-Man?" Donna retorted.

"I bet the pair of you are fussing and moaning, Donna has probably called me Space-Man along with some impolite names. Typical! Now listen closely, the TARDIS can never return to me, emergency program one means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine. Now this is what you should do; let the TARDIS die, let this old box gather up dust. No one can open it and no one will notice it, let it become a strange little thing on a street corner and over the years the world will move on and the box will be buried. And if you want to remember me then you can do one thing, that's all one thing" he suddenly turned his head to face Rose. "Have a good life. Do that for me Rose, have a fantastic life and keep Donna out of trouble"

"OI!" Donna squawked tearfully as the hologram disappeared.

"You can't do this to me" Rose whispered, she ran to the console and began to press and pull at levers. "Take me back! TAKE ME BACK!"

The engines stopped and Donna pulled Rose into an embrace as they mourned the man they loved in such different ways. Donna slowly led Rose out of the TARDIS when a pale old man looked at the TARDIS in shock.

"You said spaceship sweetheart but I didn't think blue box" Wilf Mott said to his granddaughter. Donna suddenly broke into tears and ran into his arms. "I have some guests, love" he murmured. "I think you know them"

She lifted her head up to see Jackie Tyler holding her daughter tightly and Mickey Smith looking shifty, not sure what to do or where to stand.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

It turns out that her grandfather's hill, the one that he favoured to sit on and watch the stars, was not that far from the Powell Estate, when Donna and Rose had left the estate after the Slitheen incident, Mickey had searched Donna and put Jackie in contact with Wilf. A sort of Relatives of the Doctor's Companions Association, Wilf had jokingly called it.

The five trudged to a nearby cafe not far from the estate, Jackie, Mickey and Rose sat at one booth as Jackie and Mickey tried to be normal for Rose who was staring into space with such dead eyes. While Wilf sat Donna in the booth next to them and practically forced a mug of strong coffee and a muffin down Donna's throat.

"Sugar is good for shock, you see love and you look to pale. I should order you a fry up or maybe just a plate of chips, or even just plain toast. What do you want love, shall I get you fry up?" Wilf babbled in concern.

Donna reached out and took her grandfather's hand. "I'm fine." She said quietly. "It's not just losing a close friend that hurts...Granddad, while I've been travelling...there has been someone"

"Oh..." Wilf said nervously, not sure how to handle this.

"I fell in love Granddad and he is out there fighting by the Doctor's side. He's going to die while I'm here with Rose in a cafe trying act like nothing ever happened"

"You can talk to me" Wilf said squeezing his granddaughter's hand. "You can talk to Jackie she's a lovely girl who accepts these sorts of things. You have Rose and Mickey to help you out"

Before Donna could say something Rose's shout could be heard from behind them. "You make a stand, you say no, you have the guts to do what's right while everyone else just runs away and I just can't- "

Rose suddenly got up and ran out of the cafe. Donna sighed sadly and got up. "I'll go after her" she said before running out after Rose.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna sat next to Rose on the cold bench in a skate park of the Powell Estate. "I can't blame you for feeling this way darling, I feel it too but we can't spend the rest of our lives thinking about the Doctor" she said sadly. "No matter how much we want to."

"How do I forget him" Rose whispered.

"I have no idea. How do I forget Jack? I can't. But we can do this together" Donna said softly. Rose's eyes were following something on the pavement. "Rose?" Donna asked as Rose stood up.

"Over here" Rose said running towards a wall, spray painted in words...words that all said the same...Bad Wolf. "It's over here as well!"

"I thought it was a warning" Donna said gasping. "But what if it was the opposite?"

"It's a message! A link between us and the Doctor. Bad Wolf here, Bad Wolf there!"

"Rose if it's a message what is it saying?" Donna asked.

"That we can go back, that we can help" Rose shouted as she began to run.

It was hopeless, nothing Rose could do, whether it was using Mickey's car with a chain to open the Heart of the TARDIS or kick the console in a sulk. The TARDIS refused to open up, to take them back. Jackie tried to talk some sense into Rose but Rose told Jackie how she met her father and how she was the blonde girl that held his hand. Jackie shouted and ran out crying and nothing Donna could do would calm Rose down. When Rose finally did calm down she leaned against Mickey's car, finally about to admit defeat when Jackie came with a large yellow rescue truck.

Mickey attempted to use it first, but he wasn't fast or hard enough to do it. Donna pushed him out impatiently.

"Never let a guy do a girl's job" she said stamping hard and long on the accelerator causing it to go forward jerkily and quickly, the chain breaking and the TARDIS doors shutting. Donna ran out and tried to open them but they wouldn't budge, she began to rap on the doors. "Rose! Rose let me in! Rose please!"

The TARDIS began to dematerialise.

"NO! ROSE PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME! PLEASE DON'T GO WITHOUT ME!"

The TARDIS faded and Donna fell forwards, Jackie pulling her back as she screamed and wept.

She, Donna Noble, had been left behind.

Rose, Jack and the Doctor were all fighting a war while she was stuck here on Earth.

She was never going to see them again.


	15. Interlude: Turning Left

She had spent two weeks waiting for Rose, Jack and the Doctor at Jackie Tyler's flat. Not eating, not sleeping and barely washing properly. Her hair had become frizzled and tangled, she lost a bit of weight and her skin was incredibly pale with black bags under her eyes. Her mother took one look at her and told Jackie that Donna won't ever be coming back again.

The next few weeks were spent in therapy, being forced to eat, taking anti-depression pills and sleeping pills. She was still on the pills when she began to binge drink, she was found Christmas day with the biggest hangover yet. Apparently she missed an invasion, watching all the clips she could find from what she gathered the Doctor and Rose have been and gone.

Whether they had Jack with them or not was the question.

From her mother's insistence and her therapist's encouragement she began to work again. Donna Noble, temp, nothing special. She worked for two months happily when suddenly she spotted an article in the newspaper about a school and UFOs. She planned to sneak in and investigate but before she could get the secretary job the school blew up and rumours of a blue box being seen nearby were whispered.

She had missed the Doctor again.

She found this LINDA group. London Investigations N' Detecting Agency, she would have joined but her Granddad and fallen ill and she took it as her duty to look after him. When she looked for the little club, to tell them about the Doctor she found out they were all dead but one and he refused to talk about the Doctor.

Her mother insisted on her going to Spain with her and during her scuba diving lesson there was an invasion. London was half destroyed and many were dead.

Rose Tyler, Jackie Tyler and Mickey Smith were on the list of the dead. Donna screamed and sobbed for a whole night and went to the memorial service.

Jack was gone she was sure; Rose is definitely dead but what about the Doctor? In her dreams the three of them would haunt her and she had no way of getting back to them.

Two months later she had a choice.

Go left and she'll have a temporary job in a posh central London job, easy to give up if the Doctor turns up. Or go right, a stable permanent job, a start to settle down.

She chose left. Always left because she is so sure one day she'll find the Doctor again.

But then she meets this man, Lance is his name. Gorgeous man, a bit clueless but wonderful. She asked him to marry her and he said yes after some nagging.

Didn't stop the dreams and wanting for Jack Harkness though.

But it was time to move on, she was giving up. She put on a beautiful white dress and veil, her uncle was going to walk her down the aisle (her grandfather got ill again) and everything was going to be perfect.

But as she stepped down the aisle, excitement bubbling up in her stomach, she felt a painful sensation and as golden light consumed her she was taken away screaming.

When the golden light faded she blinked.

She was in the TARDIS.

"What?"

She turned round to see a pale skinny man with a riot for hair and a brown suit that didn't help hide the skinniness looking gob smacked. In fact his mouth had dropped open at the sight of her face.

"Donna?" he breathed.

"Who are you?!" she demanded. "Where's the Doctor? Where's Rose? What have you done to them?!"

"Donna it's m-"

She threw her head back and screamed.

"DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!"


	16. Runaway Bride

**Previously:**

"_Donna?" he breathed. _

"_Who are you?!" she demanded. "Where's the Doctor? Where's Rose? What have you done to them?!"_

"_Donna it's m-"_

_She threw her head back and screamed. _

"_DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!"_

He ran over and immediately covered her mouth. "Blimey I forgot how loud you could scream" he said sighing in relieve, he then yelped as Donna bit his hand. "OW! What the hell was that for?"

"What have you done to the Doctor?" Donna snarled. "I'm warning you mate, he might be the Oncoming Storm but I'm the Oncoming Slap and I'll become your worst nightmare if you touched a hair on him or Rose"

"What do you mean what I've done to the Doctor? I am the Doctor!" the Doctor squeaked then he looked down and realised that Donna never knew about regeneration. Goddamnit what was wrong with his ninth incarnation?

"Do I look freaking stupid?!" Donna shrieked. "The Doctor was an old man in a leather jacket and oh don't get me started on the ears"

"Oi I rather liked those ears" the Doctor protested. He reached out and grabbed Donna by the shoulders. "Donna please, listen to me, I am the Doctor, I died and regenerated. Change every cell but I'm still me!"

Donna's facial expression softened a touch until she suddenly saw something behind him and slapped him hard, forcing him to let her go to clutch his cheek as he staggered back. She then flew the railings and picked up a purple top and held it up.

"This is Rose's. I should know because I helped her pick it out" Donna growled. "What have you done to her? Did you rape her and then throw her out of the vortex?"

"NO! What is it with you humans and your disturbing ideas?" the Doctor squawked.

"Oh so you're not human then" Donna said leaping to that conclusion. "Are you a Slitheen?"

"What is it with you people and Slitheens?!" the Doctor asked running his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Rose asked me that exact question when I burst into flames before her and changed into this rather dashing body if you ask me"

"A bit too skinny to be even considered dashing" Donna said wrinkling her nose as she eyed him up and down. "If you are telling the truth - and I say if because I don't believe you – then what was the very first words I said to you?"

"You better be paying to have my shoes replaced you big-eared twat" the Doctor recited. "And boy did I ever, you never left me alone, always nagging me to not kill myself, teasing me about Rose, lecturing me on my attitude, making out with Jack on the kitchen table-"

He was cut off by a rib breaking hug from Donna. "You came back" she whispered.

"Actually...no, technically you came back" the Doctor said nervously tugging at his ear. Donna pulled away with a frown.

"What do you mean _I _came back?" she asked.

"Well, I'm still in flight, it's impossible for someone to mysteriously appear in TARDIS while she's in mid-flight" the Doctor tugged at Donna's hand. "Come on I'll show you" he slowly opened the doors of the TARDIS to show a beautiful galaxy, stars and swirls of colourful dust sparkled.

"It's beautiful" Donna whispered.

"Yeah it is" the Doctor said closing the doors gently. "But the question is Donna Marie Noble, how did you get here in mid-flight, in a wedding dress of all things"

Donna's eyes widened in realisation. "Fuck no! I was in the middle of my wedding when I was suddenly transported here! You got to get me to St. Mary's in Chiswick 24th December 2006"

"Why?" the Doctor asked.

Donna slapped him hard. "BECAUSE I'M ABOUT TO GET MARRIED YOU SKINNY TWAT!"

The Doctor was now sporting two red handprints on one of his cheeks much to the TARDIS's amusement.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They landed in central London. This really, really annoyed Donna not only had the skinny twig had the nerve to come back for her or have her to come back to him or whatever the moment she was about to marry but he landed far away from the church. She turned round and slapped him.

"OW!"

"Chiswick I said!" Donna growled. "Not central London, now I got to take a taxi. Do you have any money on you?" the Doctor remained silent and looked down at the floor. "Right should have known you never have money on you" Donna said rolling her eyes. "Some things never change"

"Don't you have your mobile on you? You can always ring someone to pick you up" the Doctor suggested.

"Hellooooooooo does it look like I have any pockets on me?" Donna said waving a hand over her white dress.

"No but I was hoping you might have had it tucked away in your bra or garter like Rose used to do when she wo-"

He was cut off by another slap. "Dirty pervert" Donna sneered. "Just hijack another cash point machine while I'll hunt down a taxi, yeah?"

The Doctor nodded and walked away quickly, he doesn't remember Donna slapping so hard! Donna felt a satisfying smirk grow on her face all that slapping was helping her get over all the depression and trauma she had been through the past year and a half, she was finally getting her own back on the Doctor (who seems to have regenerated (whatever that actually meant) into a coward, the one she knew before never ran that quickly from her). She got out into the street and began to call for a taxi when one with a driver dressed as Father Christmas stopped for her.

She slipped in. "Hold on a moment mate, we got another passenger" she kept the door open and looked for the skinny twig in the suit who was now running towards her looking worried, panicked and scared. "Hurry up, we're going to be late!" she called out when suddenly the car began to speed off, swerving so quickly that she was thrown to the floor of the taxi as the door slammed shut.

She climbed up into the seat and glared up at the mirror to only pale when she saw a robotic face.

She had just been kidnapped by a robotic Santa in her wedding dress.

Someone up there hates her.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor had flown the TARDIS through the motorway and opened up the doors. Much to Donna's chagrin he insisted on her jumping out in her wedding dress but if it was a choice between being a robotic Santa's sex slave or road kill, she would go for the road kill. Luckily the Doctor had caught her and quickly sat her down on the metal grating floor as he flew the TARDIS somewhere else.

They landed on a roof not far from the Powell Estate, unfortunately a small fire had started and the Doctor was putting it out as Donna checked her watch.

"Did we miss it?" the Doctor called over his shoulder.

"Yeah" Donna said miserably.

"I'm sorry" the Doctor said insincerely, it's not that he didn't want Donna to be happy, it was just some sort of strange loyalty to the Captain where he thought Donna should be only with him. "Still got the honeymoon"

"Only a holiday now" Donna grumbled as the Doctor draped his suit jacket over Donna to keep her warm. She was silent for a moment. "So, robotic Santas'" she said.

"Oh, your basic robo scavenger, the Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. Trying to blend in, we met them last Christmas." The Doctor said as he rummaged through one of his pockets.

"By we I assume you mean you and Rose" Donna said.

"Aha!" the Doctor pulled out a gold wedding ring out.

"Yeah keep rubbing it in Space-Boy" Donna grumbled.

It's a Bio-Damper. Those Santa's will be able to detect you by your biological signature this will hide it." He slipped the ring on. "I thee bio-damp you" Donna rolled her eyes at the bad joke. "Space-Boy?"

"Yes Space-Boy, I always called you that" Donna said slowly wondering if this version of the Doctor was even more stupid than the first one.

"No you used to call me Space-Man" the Doctor corrected. "Not Space-Boy, why have you changed it?"

"Well I guess it's because you look a bit boyish with the freckles and hair"

"I do not look like a boyish man, I am a manly man!" the Doctor shouted, pouting, making him look even more boyish.

"Oh pull the other one, you're even pouting like a kid" Donna said rolling her eyes.

"Rose found it charming, snogable even!" the Doctor said crossing his arms.

"Yeah but Rose fancied you, I didn't" Donna pointed out. She then grew sombre. "What happened to Rose? I saw her name on the list..."

"She's not dead" the Doctor said firmly his dark eyes darkening even more. "Trust me Donna, she is so alive. She's with her Mum, Mickey and her Dad. In this parallel world"

"You're kidding me?"The Doctor shook his head and the two sat in silence for a couple minutes. Donna decided that she would find more about Rose later when she got the chance, right now something else that had been bugging her and to be asked."Why didn't you come back for me?" Donna asked quietly.

"Thought you'd move on" the Doctor said shrugging. "I was adjusting to this body, Rose was adjusting...and well we never thought of you till it was too late. We both thought you moved on"

"I could never move on, not properly" Donna said quietly. "You don't know how many therapy sessions and pills I had to go through to be where I am today"

"I am so, so sorry" the Doctor said sincerely this time round. They both sighed and remained silent for another few seconds. "So what are you doing with your life now? Apart from the obvious I mean"

"I'm at H C Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping..." Donna lost herself in her memories "I mean it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well I thought 'I'm never gonna fit in here' and then he made me a cup of coffee. I mean that just doesn't happen, nobody makes the secretaries coffee. And Lance, he's the head of H R he doesn't need to bother with me, but he was nice, he was funny and it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started me and him, just one cup of coffee. That was it."

"When was this?"

"Six months ago."

"Bit quick to get married."

"Well he nagged and nagged and nagged, so I finally gave in." Donna said waving a dismissive hand.

"Yeah right" the Doctor muttered to himself. "So what does H C Clements do?" he asked louder.

Oh, security systems, you know, entry codes, ID cards that sort of thing. If you ask me that's a posh name for locksmith."

"Keys..."

"Anyway enough of my CV. It's time to face the consequences. Oh this is going to be so shaming." Donna sighed as she got up. "They're going to be so heartbroken that the reception is off"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The reception was chaos. When they first entered everyone crowded Donna demanding to know what was going on, Donna evaded them by putting on some dramatic sobbing. The Doctor while trying to not laugh his head off at Donna's antics managed to burrow someone's mobile and did some research of H. C. Clements and found out that it was a cover for Torchwood, what a surprise.

While the Doctor watched everyone dance he had allowed himself to remember a time when it wasn't just him on the TARDIS but Rose, Donna and Jack, how they danced just like this to Glenn Miller. He then spotted a cameraman and watched the wedding video; he figured out the golden light that had surrounded Donna was Huon particles.

Then the Santa's came round and the baubles on the Christmas tree started to attack everyone. The Doctor, Donna and Lance (someone the Doctor instantly disliked and began to wonder if he was a relative of Mickey the Idiot) decided to investigate H. C. Clements. The Doctor, Donna and a reluctant Lance ran into the H C Clements building and up to the floor that Donna works on. They stopped at her desk.

"To you lot this might just be a locksmith, but H C Clements was bought up 23 years ago by the Torchwood institute." The Doctor said with a dark look on his face.

"Who are they?" Donna asked noticing the dark looks that the Doctor wore when he mentioned Torchwood.

"The reason why Rose is stuck in a parallel world" the Doctor said quietly. Donna hissed and looked like she was going to smash something. "Torchwood was destroyed, but H C Clements stayed in business." The Doctor went to a computer and said "I think that someone else came in and took over the operation."

Donna was getting fed up with the lack of information "But what do they want with me?" she asked.

The Doctor looked up from the computer screen "Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy and that's a problem... because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark Times, The only place you can find a Huon particle is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See that's what happened." he paused and grabbed a cup off the table next to him and tried to explain what happened to Donna "Say this is the TARDIS." he then grabbed a pencil and continued. "Say this is you. The particles inside you activated, the two sets of particles magnetised and wap! You were pulled inside the TARDIS." he said and dropped the pencil in the cup.

"I'm a pencil in a mug?"

"Yes, you are." he said "4H sums you up." he put the cup down and turned to Lance "Lance, what was H C Clements working on? Anything top secret, special operations. Do not enter?"

Lance looked at him, shrugging "I don't know. I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager." he paused. "Why am I even explaining myself to you? What are we even talking about?" It was clear to the Doctor that he was getting on Lance's nerves and that Lance didn't understand what was going on.

"You make keys that's the point" the Doctor said as he brought up a virtual plan of the building and said "Look at this, we're on the third floor." he turned and looked at Donna and Lance and asked "There's a basement under the reception, yes?" he got up and headed to the lift and waited for it to come down "So how come when you look in the lift there's a button marked 'Lower basement'. There's a whole floor that doesn't exist on the official plan. So what's down there?"

"Are you telling me that this building's got a secret floor?" Lance asked.

The Doctor looked at him with his trademark 'don't be an idiot' look "No I'm showing you that this building's got a secret floor." Donna looked at the buttons on the lift and noticed something that the Doctor obviously hadn't.

"It needs a key." Donna said slowly.

The Doctor ran into the lift and said as he pointed the sonic screwdriver at the button "I don't." the lift button unlocked and the Doctor put the sonic screwdriver back in his pocket "Right then, thank you Lance. But me and Donna can handle this, I promise to get your bride back to you safely."

Donna looked at the Doctor. "No chance mate, he's coming with us"

But Lance looking shifty and uncomfortable said "Maybe I should go to the police."

Donna wasn't having any of it "Inside!" she said Lance reluctantly got into the lift. The lift doors closed at took the four of them down to the lower basement

The three of them exited the lift when it stopped and Donna asked "Where are we?" she stepped further away from the lift "What goes on down here."

"Let's find out." The Doctor said grinning

"Do you think Mr Clements knows about this place?" asked Donna suddenly

"The mysterious H C Clements?" The Doctor said raising an eyebrow "Oh! I think he's part of it."

The Doctor was looking around and she noticed something that the other two hadn't seen yet."Oh look transport."

They turned to see three motor scooter types of things.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They found a lab that was manufacturing the Huon particles. The Doctor examined them interestedly while Donna looked round in awe. When the Doctor showed Donna the Huon particles Donna got scared and accused the Doctor of enjoying this too much, slapping him again. The Doctor was promising to save her when a voice caught their attention.

_Oh. She is long since lost"_ the wall in front of Donna and the Doctor lifted up to reveal a cavernous room on the other side, with a large hole drilled in the centre.

_"I have waited so long." _said the voice "_Hibernating at the edge of the universe"_

Unnoticed by the pair who were looking around the room for the source of the voice, Lance left the room and as he did so the voice continued to speak. _"Until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken me."_

The Doctor looked around the room and noticed that there were several of the robot Santa's round the large room (minus the Santa suits and musical instrument, instead they were wearing long black cloaks and were carrying guns). The Doctor walked forwards and looked at the hole and said "Someone's been digging." he paused at looked carefully at the hole and notice marks that were obviously made by a laser "Oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?"

_"Down, down all the way to the centre of the Earth."_

"Really? Seriously, what for?"

"Dinosaurs." suggested Donna

The Doctor turned to look at the redhead who was now standing beside him and said "What are you on about? Dinosaurs."

"That film, under the Earth, with dinosaurs" she looked at his face and saw that he wasn't amused and said "Trying to help."

"That's not helping, in fact that is one of the most stupidest ideas you ever had"

"Oi! Watch it Space-Boy" Donna growled.

_"Such a sweet couple."_

"We're not a couple" Donna said glaring at the Doctor.

"Where are you?" the Doctor asked ignoring Donna's glare.

_"High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night."_

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom. Come on let's have a look at you."

_"Who are you with such command?"_

"I'm the Doctor"

_"Prepare your medicine, Doctor Man. For you will be sick at heart."_

The owner of the voice appeared in the room with the three of them and they could now see a being with a spider-like lower body and a humanoid upper body, she had fangs for teeth, four extra eyes on her forehead and two devil horns coming from the side of her head incorporating her ears, she was completely red with occasional bit of black glittering on her skin. She really was an awful sight to look at.

The Doctor looked at the creature and after some thought and going through the books in his mind he figured out what it was "Racnoss." he said "But that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss."

"Empress of the Racnoss." said the creature.

"If you're the empress then where are the rest of the Racnoss? Or are you the only one?"

"Such a sharp mind."

"That's it." The Doctor said grinning. "The last of your kind." The Doctor turned to Donna who were standing next to him. "If I remember correctly The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. They were carnivores. Omnivores, they devoured whole planets." The Empress must have heard him because she turned round to face him.

"Racnoss are born starving, is that our fault?" she asked.

"Oh so I was right?"

"They eat people?" Donna asked.

The Doctor looked up at the ceiling and turned to Donna "H C Clements. Did he... uh wear those black and white shoes?"

"He did" answered Donna sounding amused "We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats." The Doctor pointed to the ceiling and tied up in a web was a body wearing black and white shoes and that was all that you could see of the man in the web. Donna looked up and looked back down as she took in what she was seeing and said "Oh my God."

"My Christmas dinner." The Empress of the Racnoss said her teeth glittering.

"You shouldn't even exist. Way back in history the fledgling empires went to war against the Racnoss. They were wiped out."

"Except for me." The Empress said. As she spoke Donna spotted Lance coming up behind the Racnoss and decided to distract it until he was near enough to strike with the axe that he was carrying

"That's what I've got inside me that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me lady I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How come I got all stacked up with these Huon particles? Look at me you, look me in the eye and tell me."

"The bride is so feisty."

"Yes I am." Donna agreed "I don't know what you are, you big thing. But a spider is just a spider and an axe is an axe. Now, do it!"

Lance lift the axe as though to strike the Racnoss Empress, but he stopped short of hitting her and started laughing with the Empress and The Doctor placed a hand on Donna's shoulder, to keep her still but also as a sympathetic gesture.

"That was a good one." Lance said "Your face"

"Lance is funny." the Empress said as though that explained everything.

"What?" Donna asked now that she had regained the ability to speak.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said.

Donna looked from one to the other "For what?" she asked. She then looked at Lance and said "Lance. Don't be so stupid, get out of there."

"God, she's thick" Lance said "Months I've had to put up with her. Months! A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

"I don't understand." Donna said.

"How did you meet him?" The Doctor asked Donna looked at him confused. "He made you coffee."

"What?"

"Everyday I made you coffee." Lance said in a patronising tone as though he was talking to a child rather than a full grown woman. The Doctor looked at Lance with fury.

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months" The Doctor explained gently to Donna.

"He was poisoning me?" Donna asked.

The Doctor looked at Lance again and said "It was all there in the job title, the head of human resources."

"This time its personnel."

"But... We were getting married."

"Well... I couldn't risk you running off so I had to say yes. Then I was stuck with a woman who was on pills to keep her happy. A woman who was barely alive, a pure ice queen in the making. A woman who cried out a different mans name out during-"

"Yeah don't want to hear about Donna's sex life thank you very much" the Doctor interrupted with a shudder.

"Well I deserved a medal to put up with that bitch. Hell even a night with the Racnoss was better" Lance sneered.

Is that what she offered you?" the Doctor asked, tightening his grip on Donna. "The Empress of the Racnoss?"

"It's better than a night with her!" explained Lance.

"But I love you." said Donna in a small voice, he confidence had been knocked by Lance's betrayal.

"Thing is you don't" Lance said casually. "You love that Jack bloke and yes I know about him. You talk about him in your sleep. Having you believe you're in love with me made things so much easy." He turned to face the Doctor. "It's like you said Rose, the bigger picture. What's the point in it all if the human race is just nothing? That's what the Empress can give me."

The Doctor was getting sick of listening to this idiot so he decided to set him straight. "The human race isn't nothing, I've been to the future, I've seen the End of the Earth and New Earth, the Human race is the race that always survives right through the ages the human race is always there in some form or another and in history humans have done brilliant things and will continue to do so until the end of time. And you know what? Donna Noble is the best of them. Tell me the human race is nothing now? Tell me that my sister over there is nothing"

Lance appeared to ignore everything that the Doctor had just said. "The Empress can give me a chance to go out there to see it. To see the size of it all. I think you know something about that don't you Doctor?"

"Who is this medical man?"

"Don't know, Donna didn't say, I assume human."

"Oh, I'm sort of homeless." The Doctor said "But the point is what's down there? The Racnoss are extinct what's going to help you 4000 miles down. That's just the molten core of the Earth isn't it?" he asked pointing at the hole

"I think he wants us to talk." said Lance.

"I think so too." agreed the Empress of the Racnoss

"Well tough all we need is Donna."

"Kill this chattering little physician"

"Don't you hurt him." said Donna as she stepped in front of the Doctor, feeling a wave of anger, hate, fear and love that she hadn't felt for such a long time.

"No it's alright."

"No I won't let them." The robots all around them were aiming their weapons at the Doctor.

"Ah! Now except..."

"Take aim." ordered the Empress.

"Well I just wanted to point out the obvious..."

"They won't hit the bride; they're such very good shots."

"Just hold on. Hold on just a tick, just a tiny little, just a...tick. If you think about it the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my space ship." The Doctor said as he took out the sonic screwdriver " So, reverse it and my space ship comes to her" he took out the vile of Huon particles and held it beside Donna and the TARDIS appeared around the two of them

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They watched the Earth being created, Donna weakly joked how refreshing it is to see something not blow up when they saw the Racnoss ship make the Earth. Then suddenly the Empress pulled the TARDIS back and while the Doctor was looking into something in one of the tunnels, Donna got kidnapped by the robots.

She was now tied firmly in some sort of cobwebs with Lance. "I hate you" she hissed.

"Yeah I think we gone a bit beyond that sweetheart" Lance replied bitterly.

The Racnoss began a rather gloomy, dramatic speech that Donna was tuning out. "You know this isn't the first time that I have been almost fed to a spider" she said.

Lance looked at her in shock.

"Used to travel in time and space and one day I got trapped in some sort of reality TV show and they were going to feed me to a spider. Should have taken it as an omen" Donna said shaking her head.

"Do you want to be released?" the Racnoss asked.

"YES!" the pair shouted.

"You're supposed to say I do!" the Racnoss spat out.

"No chance" Lance said.

"Rather die love" Donna said bitterly.

"Say it!"

Lance glared at Donna before saying. "I do"

"I do" Donna mumbled grudgingly.

"I don't!" the Racnoss laughed.

"Oh what a surprise" Donna muttered.

Donna watched in horror as the particles were activated and Lance was thrown in, killed. One of the cloaked men took their cloak off to reveal the Doctor, who pulled out his sonic screwdriver and loosened the cobwebs so Donna (who was now screaming) could swing into her arms...instead she went face first smacked up against the wall.

"Are you all right?" the Doctor shouted.

"I really, really hate you right now" Donna snarled as she got up.

The Doctor offered the Racnoss a chance and se declined and ordered her robots to shoot him. Donna thought the Doctor should really have learnt by now that these sorts of people never give up. The Doctor then made the robots freeze, apparently his bigger on the inside pockets held the remote. The Doctor using the remote and the bombs made a flood and fire, he watched darkly as the Racnoss children died.

"DOCTOR!" Donna screamed. "DOCTOR, YOU CAN STOP NOW! PLEASE STOP!"

The Doctor obeyed and helped her up as the pair ran. Climbing out of the tunnel. They breathed deeply, enjoying the cool air on their face.

"Oh my god!" Donna squealed when she saw the Thames. "You drained it! You drained the Thames!"

The Doctor laughed. "So I did" he said hugging Donna tightly.

The military blew up the Empress's star web like ship. Everything was over, Donna was now safe. The Doctor took Donna home

"I guess...i guess this is goodbye then" he mumbled.

"Goodbye? Are you fucking kidding me?" Donna shrieked. "One year and a half. ONE YEAR AND A HALF! I spent hoping you would come back. You heard Lance I never moved on, even when I did try."

"You want to stay with me even though I did all of that to the Racnoss?" the Doctor asked disbelievingly.

Donna snorted. "That just proves how much you need me mate." She softened. "I'm joining you, we're going to travel space and time and we're going to find Rose. We'll bring her back"

The Doctor sighed. "Parallel world Donna. She's trapped there, no way of getting her back. Trust me I have tried, only found a gap big enough to send a transmission, to say goodbye...that was when you appeared"

"Just because you can't get to her doesn't mean she can't" Donna said firmly. "I know Rose Tyler, she never gives up. You'll see" she then pushed him out of the way. "Come on let me get out of this bloody dress and I'll cook you dinner. You're so skinny that I'm sure I got a paper cut hugging you"


	17. The Nobles and Miss Jones

Martha Jones was walking along a crowded London street on her way to the Royal Hope Hospital where she was training to become a doctor. It was like any other day for Martha, she got up, got dressed and headed to the hospital, today was different however, today was her brother's 21st birthday and she was hoping that the party wouldn't turn into a circus like the last time the family got together.

He phone began to ring and she looked at the display and saw that it was her sister; smiling to herself she answered the phone. "You're up early!" she said as a greeting "What's happening?" she asked although she was dreading the answer

"It's a nightmare." Her sister answered "Cause Dad won't listen and I'm telling you Mum's going mental. Swear to God Martha this is epic, you've got to get in there and stop him."

"How do I do that?" Martha asked sounding confused

"Tell him he can't bring her."

Martha's phone started beeping, she took it from her ear and looked at the display, she saw that it was her brother this time and put the phone back to her ear and said "Hold on that's Leo I'll call you back." She hung up on her sister and answered the phone to her brother.

"Martha." he said "If mum and dad start to kick off, tell 'em I don't even want a party, I didn't even ask for one. They can always give me the money instead."

"Why do I have to tell them?" Martha asked "Why can't you?" her phone beeped again and she said "Hold on that's mum I'll call you back." she hung up and answered her mother

"I don't mind your father making a fool of himself in private, but this is Leo's 21st everyone is going to be there and the entire family is going to look ridiculous."

"Mum, it's a party I can't stop Dad bringing his girlfriend." her mobile beeped again and Martha said "Hold on that's Dad I'll call you back." she hung up on her mother and answered her dad

"Martha, now you tell your mother. Leo is my son and I'm paying for half that party." he paused as he closed his car door and said "I'm entitled to bring who I like."

"I know, but think what is it going to look like for mum, if you're standing there with Annalise."

"What's wrong with Annalise?" Martha heard a female voice in the background saying "Is that Martha? Say hi. Hi Martha hi."

"Hi Annalise."

"Big kisses, lots of love, see you at the party babes... Now take me shopping big boy."

Martha wasn't sure whether to puke or laugh; instead she called her sister back and made arrangements to meet up for lunch and plot how to save the party, as she hung up a couple walked to her. A man with brown hair in pinstripes and a redhead in jeans and blue smock top, the man took his tie off.

"Like so" he said before dragging the redhead off.

"Bloody show off" Martha heard the redhead mutter.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"I hate this!" Donna complained loudly. "They're constantly prodding and poking me and asking me stupid stuff like 'so what did you eat last night Ms Noble', why can't you be the one in the bed?"

The Doctor sighed. "I told you before Donna, two hearts. It would have been awkward to explain and I'll probably end up being carted off to a secret government sect for dissection. Not to mention hospital food is terrible, it's all grotty and lumpy and g-"

"You should have stopped at two hearts" Donna interrupted firmly. "Blimey you really don't know how to shut up do you?"

"No, I seem to have this new ability to ramble and babble and go on and on and on about useless stuff, once I sat there talking to Jackie for hours on end over Rose's mascara, she ended up slapping me just to shut me up. Rose used far better methods, though sometimes the timing was wrong, I mean it's not good to be caught making out by a-"

"You can stop right there!" Donna said loudly. "Before I find a gag for you"

Before the Doctor could say anything the medical students and their teacher appeared. "Ah a good morning to you Ms Noble and how are you today?" the teacher asked politely.

"Well I wouldn't be here if I was all fine and dandy would I?" Donna said raising an eyebrow.

The Doctor laughed weakly. "What she was trying to say was still a bit you know...blah."

The teacher nodded before turning to his class. "Donna Noble. Admitted last night with severe abdominal pains. Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me."

Martha walked around the foot of the bed and the medical students gathered there and walked up to Donna and said "It wasn't very clever running about outside, was it?"

"Sorry?"

"On Chancellor Street this morning, you walked up to me with him over there. He took his tie off and you said something about showing off"

"Really?" the Doctor asked feeling confused. "What did I do that for?"

"I don't know." said Martha as she put her stethoscope to her ears and continued "You just did."

"Not me." The Doctor said shaking his head. "I was here by Donna's bedside ask the nurses,"

"Well it looked like you two, have you got siblings?"

"No, not any more, just me and Donna." The Doctor said sadly.

"And Mum and Granddad" Donna added glaring at the Doctor who looked apologetic for forgetting about her family. Though really he didn't count them.

As time passes I grow ever more infirm and weary Miss Jones."

"Sorry." said Martha smiling sheepishly and putting the stethoscope. "Hmm...Everything seems normal. Could she be pregnant? Abdominal pains are usually a sign"

"WHAT?!" Donna squawked causing everyone around her to wince. "Who by? I haven't had sex since a week before Christmas and honey let me tell you it was awful! He was completely crap"

"Shame I'm sure you and Mr Noble over there would have made good parents" Martha said trying to be nice. Instead she just caused the Doctor and Donna to choke.

"W-w-w-what? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no" the Doctor said shaking his head. "We're not like that, we're not married, no where near"

"Marrying him would be incest! He's like a brother, actually he is. But that's not the point; the point is I could sue for causing such distress"

The teacher sighed. "Miss Jones please leave the Nobles alone before I have to dismiss you. You rather failed basic techniques by not first consulting with the patients chart." He picked up the chart and it sparked and he dropped it.

"That happened to me this morning." said Martha

"I had the same thing on the door handle." continued another student

"And me in the lift." added a female student.

"Well, it's only to be expected there's a thunderstorm moving in and lightening is a form of static electricity as was first proven by... anyone?"

"Benjamin Franklin" the Doctor said.

"Correct" the teacher said,

"Me and my mate Ben, we-" Donna leapt up and slammed her hand over his mouth.

"Ignore whatever he says, he hasn't taken his medication recently" she said sweetly.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They were chatting absently while sharing a bag of chips the Doctor snuck in when the earthquake struck. The Doctor was automatically thrown to the floor while Donna clung tightly to the headboard of her bed screaming. Once the earthquake quietened though, everyone stared at the window in awe. Donna pushed the Doctor out and drew the curtains so she could get dressed in her jeans and blue smock top, as she got dressed she can hear the medical student trying to calm everyone down and work things out.

But how do we have air?" Martha asked someone.

"Good point! Let's find out, tell me…Jones wasn't it? Dr Jones, do you have a balcony here?"

"Erm, yeah it's in the staff room and it's Martha, Martha Jones. I'm not a doctor just yet"

"Well come along Martha Jones" the Doctor said grinning.

Donna ran after them, only wearing one shoe as she tried to catch up with them. "Oi what am I? Pork chops?"

They now stood on the balcony where the Doctor figured out that whoever did this had put up a force field round; meaning the only air left was what they had. Donna knew that she and the Doctor had to get the hospital back as soon as they could.

"You're all right?" she asked Martha who was still staring out at Earth in shock. "I mean it's a bit of a shock all of this"

"Yeah." Martha replied dazed.

"Sure?" Donna asked again.

"Yeah." Martha repeated.

"Do you wanna go back in?" Donna offered.

"No way... cause, I mean we could die out here, any minute, but all the same... it's beautiful." Martha smiled.

"Do you think?" Donna didn't think that most people would be able to admire the beauty when they're just been moved onto the moon like this. Hell if she was in Martha's place she would be too busy panicking.

"How many people want to go to the moon, and here we are."

"Standing in the earthlight." The Doctor commented.

"What do you think happened?" Martha asked the pair.

"What do you think?" The Doctor asked staring at Martha with interest.

"Extra-terrestrial. It's gotta be." Martha decided. "I don't know, a few years ago, that would have sounded mad, but these days... a space ship flying into Big Ben. Christmas. And those Cybermen things, that battle in the sky... I had a cousin, Adoela. She worked at Canary Wharf. Never came home." Martha sighed.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor apologised as Donna gave the younger woman a comforting squeeze on the hand.

"Yeah..." Martha said. "Don't worry Mr Noble and Ms Noble; I'm sure we'll get out of this soon. It'll be over before we know it"

"Oh I'm not Mr Noble, I'm the Doctor" the Doctor said.

"So am I if I pass the exams" Martha sighed. "Ok then Doctor Noble-"

"No just the Doctor" Donna corrected.

"Doctor who?" Martha asked. "You can't just be a doctor, you have to earn it"

"Trust me honey, he has done more than enough to earn that title" Donna drawled.

"What are you? Part of the government or something?" Martha asked curiously.

"Nah more of a freelancer. Now whoever did this should be sneaking around here" the Doctor turned away from the view. "But who? Who would have enough power to do this?"

"I'm guessing those guys" Martha said pointing behind the Doctor.

The Doctor turned abruptly and caught the sight of leather armed men marching across the moon to the hospital. "Judoon" he hissed.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Martha, Donna and the Doctor crouched behind a large pot plant on the balcony overlooking the lobby and watched the leather armed men take the black helmets off the reveal a rhino head.

"So what exactly is a Judoon?" Martha asked.

"Galactic police," the Doctor answered screwing his nose up in thought."Well, police for hire. More like interplanetary thugs."

"And they brought us to the moon?" asked Martha.

"Neutral territory," the Doctor answered. "According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the earth, and they isolated us. That rain? Lightning? That was them, using an H2O scoop"

"What's that about 'galactic law'?" asked Martha, smiling. "Where'd you get that from?" Then, "If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

"No," The Doctor said. "But I like that, "Good thinking. No, it's simpler. They're making a catalogue. It means they're after something non-human, which is very bad news for me."

"You have terrible luck" Donna muttered darkly.

"What? Why?" both the Doctor and Donna raised an eyebrow and Martha's eyes widened "oh you are kidding me!"

"Nope, I'm not human. Now Martha, I need a computer. I need to go through the files and see if I could sniff out this alien so to speak. Could you find me one?"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor was attempting to hack into the computer system with Donna giving him handy tips; he is actually worried how Donna learnt to hack so well. He suspected that she may have hacked into the TARDIS system once or twice but doesn't dare ask. Suddenly Martha came running back in, panting slightly.

"They're on the third floor right now" Martha informed Rose, she then spotted the sonic screwdriver "what's that?"

A sonic screwdriver" the Doctor said absently.

"Well if you aren't going to answer me properly" Martha huffed.

"No he's being serious, it's a screwdriver and it's sonic" Donna said looking bored.

"Oh and what else have you got in there, a laser spanner?" Martha asked sarcastically.

"Don't give him ideas!" Donna shrieked. "My toothbrush will never be safe!"

The Doctor smacked a hand against the computer. "Oh, this computer! The Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon platoon upon the moon," he muttered. "'Cause we were just walking past, I swear. Stopped for chips; I wasn't looking for trouble, honestly, I wasn't; but I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital--and that lightning, that's plasma coils, been building up for two days now. So I checked Donna in. I thought something was going on inside, it turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above."

"But what were they looking for?" asked Martha.

"Something that looks human, but isn't," the Doctor answered.

"Like you. Apparently," Martha replied.

"You still don't believe me do you?" the Doctor asked.

"Don't worry, I didn't at first either" Donna said comfortingly while the Doctor touched his cheek and winced at the memory.

"Haven't they got a photo?" Martha asked changing the subject after deciding she really didn't want to know what happened. "I mean so they should know it's not you they're after"

"Might be a shape-changer," the Doctor said shrugging.

"Whatever it is," Martha asked, "can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?"

The Doctor shook his head. "If they declare the hospital guilty of harbouring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution."

"Oh how wonderful" Donna said sarcastically.

"All of us?" asked Martha.

"Oh yes. If I can find this thing first--" the computer screen flickered strangely, and the Doctor let out a furious snarl. "Oh! Just--they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records. How safe do I feel knowing that we have such geniuses looking after the universe?"

"What are we looking for?" Martha asked the Doctor, taking a step back from him in case he would accidentally hit her in frustration.

"I don't know," the Doctor said. "Any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms." he focused back on the computer. "Maybe there's a back-up."

"Just keep working," Martha told the pair. "I'll go ask Mr. Stoker; he might know." She left quickly, letting the door slam shut behind her.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor managed to hack into the system and found out the patient the Judoon were after was Mrs Finnegan, Donna muttered something about how funny the woman was acting as they ran to Mr Stoker's office, soon they spotted Martha enter the corridor ahead of her and start in her direction. "I've restored the back-up-" the Doctor began, once Martha was within earshot.

"I found her," Martha said, catching her breath as she got up to the strange pair.

"You what?" Donna asked blinking. Then, she noticed a leather creature (what was it with all the leather today?) Pursuing Martha.

"Run!" the Doctor said, reaching out to take Donna's hand, and leading her down the nearest staircase. Martha following.

Unfortunately, the Judoon were coming up the staircase.

The Doctor dodged out of a doorway on the fourth floor, pulling Donna with him. he followed the signs, straight into Radiology, slamming and sonicking the door closed, just as the leather creature caught up to them.

"Get behind the screen," he told Martha and Donna. "When I say 'now', press the button," he said, moving to the X-ray equipment.

"Which button?!" Donna shouted. "We're not geniuses you know!"

"Find out!" the Doctor replied, setting to work on the machinery with the sonic screwdriver.

The leather creature was throwing itself against the door, and the hinges were beginning to give way. The Doctor jammed the sonic between the necessary components just as the door came crashing in. "Now!" he shouted, and the room was flooded with radiation.

The leather creature fell, motionless.

"What did you do?" Martha asked from behind the screen as Donna sighed in relieve.

"Increased the radiation by five thousand per cent. Killed him dead," the Doctor answered. "thank god it worked, I wasn't sure that I got the settings right."

"Isn't that likely to kill you?" asked Martha.

"You would think so wouldn't you? But I since I'm an amazing Time Lord it doesn't!" the Doctor said smugly "It's safe for you to come out, I've absorbed it all. All I need to do is expel it."

He focused, bouncing and hopping, forcing the radiation from his system. "If I concentrate," he explained as Martha and Donna joined him, "I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot. It's in my left shoe. Here we go, here we go, easy does it . . . ." he shook her foot vigorously. "Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out, ah, ah, ah, ah. It is, it is, it is, it is, it is hot. Ah - hold on--" he slipped her shoe and sock off together, and tossed them into the bin. "Done."

"You think you're soooooooooo clever" Donna said with her famous 'we are not amused' expression that she nicked from Queen Victoria.

"I am so clever!" the Doctor protested.

"You're completely mad," Martha said, in shock. "Both of you"

"Right. Terrible fashion statement if I walk about with only one shoe" the Doctor slipped the right shoe off and chucked it in with the first. He wiggled her toes on the cool floor. "Barefoot on the moon!" he said, smiling.

Martha had moved over to the leather creature. "So what is that thing?" she asked. "And where's it from? The planet Zovirax?"

"It's just a Slab," the Doctor said. "They're called 'Slabs'. Basic slave drones, see?" she knocked on the Slab's chest. "Solid leather, all the way through. Someone has got one hell of a fetish."

"Bit like Jack then" Donna muttered.

The Doctor looked disgusted. "Really didn't need to know that" he muttered back but then something caught his attention.

"It came with that woman, Mrs Finnegan," Martha said. "It was working for her. Just like a servant"

The Doctor wasn't listening; he was too busy staring at the controls in horror. "My sonic screwdriver!" he moaned. "I loved my sonic screwdriver!"

"Oh boo hoo" Donna said sarcastically.

"Oh come on Donna how many times has this thing saved our lives? How many times has it mended shelves, opened doors, resonated concrete, fix bar-?"

"Doctor!" Martha shouted getting the Doctor's attention. "I'm trying to tell you that Mrs Finnegan is the alien, she was sucking Mr Stoker's blood through a straw!"

"You called me Doctor!" the Doctor said triumphantly.

"Well that takes vampire horrors to a new level" Donna mumbled shivering.

"Now let's think…oh yes, she's a shape-changer, an internal shape-changer! She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it! If she can assimilate Mr. Stoker's blood, mimic the morphology, she can register as human. We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!" the Doctor babbled taking Donna's hand again.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Judoon had just revealed that the Doctor was non-human and the three ran to Mr Stoker's office to find him drained dry. As they exited the room, the Judoon marched down the corridor shouting out to execute the Doctor. They could see flashing lights in the MRI room, Donna was beginning to panic a bit, how was she and the Doctor going to get everyone out of here alive without dying themselves? They needed to distract the Judoon, to get them to find Mrs Finnegan.

The Doctor turned round and held Donna by the shoulders. "Donna what's going to happen means absolutely nothing, I mean it. This is not some sort of move on you, I am not being a pervert, I am not on the rebound and please for the love of god don't slap me"

"What on Earth are you ta-?"

The Doctor cut off Donna by snogging her furiously. He then pulled away and muttered thanks before running off.

"I thought you said you weren't a couple?" Martha asked looking dejected and confused. Before Donna could reassure the girl that she and the Doctor were most definitely not a couple the Judoon came marching down and scanned her.

"Human with some non-human traces" the Judoon intoned. He then pushed Donna against a wall and scanned her again.

"OI! I have rights you know!" Donna shouted.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna fell unconscious due to the lack oxygen before she could even get to the MRI room. She just hoped that Martha and the Doctor could save everyone. When she woke up she was in her room on the TARDIS tucked in with only her shoes removed. She yawned and stretched out like a cat before kicking the covers off and going hunting for her shoes.

After a quick comb through of her hair Donna went searching for the Doctor and found him walking out of his workshop with a triumphant grin on his face as he held up his brand new sonic screwdriver.

Donna immediately slapped the grin off of his face.

"OW! I thought I asked you to _not _slap me" the Doctor cried out.

"Yeah and before I can give you an answer you tried to suck my lungs out" Donna said hands on her hips. "Save it for when Rose gets back all right!"

"Rose can't come back" the Doctor reminded Donna softly.

"And I keep telling you, you don't know Rose Tyler that well if you think she's going to give up that easily" Donna said stubbornly. "Now Martha"

"What about Martha?"

"I assume she's the reason why you're still standing here" Donna said.

"Why is it so hard for you to believe that I can save the world and keep myself save by myself?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh I don't know, how about because you tried to get yourself killed about a thousand times since I met you. And you succeeded once" Donna retorted. "Now I was thinking we should give Martha a little treat. A one off trip"

"Why?"

"Because I said so!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Martha Jones was trying to keep the peace between her parents and Annalise. Her siblings joined in the arguing, making it worse. Suddenly Leo and Tish stormed off in a huff, Annalise marched off with Clive following her like a lovesick puppy with Francine shouting after them. Martha sighed; she almost craved the silence of the moon.

Then she spotted them.

The Doctor was leaning against the wall in a brown pinstripe suit and Donna in her blue outfit from earlier stood behind him waving. Martha followed the pair down an alley towards a blue box.

I was on the moon today" Martha stated quietly.

"Yes you were lot more quiet than that lot. Reminds me a bit of my mother and the neighbours" Donna said grinning slightly

"You never told me who you are" Martha said.

"Yes we did. We're the Doctor and Donna" the Doctor said.

"I meant species"

"Well I'm human and his some sort of Time Lord, don't ask they sound like a snooty bunch too me" Donna said smirking.

"OI!"

"Anyway what this useless bag of bones is trying to do if invite you on a trip" Donna carried on waving a dismissive hand at the Doctor.

What out in space? I can't I have exams and rent and so on" Martha fumbled over her excuse.

"Did I mention it travels in time as well?" Donna asked grinning, that was always the winner card.

"No way!"

"It does! Hang on and I'll prove it you" the Doctor said pulling Donna back into the TARDIS. Which disappeared for about five seconds before reappearing. The Doctor came out holding his tie that he took off.

But how…?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Can't tell you the exact details"

"Why didn't you warn me? You know to not go to work"

"And mess up the timeline causing the reapers to come and eat us all? No thanks. So do you want to come or not"

"It's a bit cramped don't you think?" Martha asked screwing her nose up.

The Doctor smiled slyly and pushed the door back. "see for yourself"

Martha walked in slowly and gasped "it's bigger in the inside"

"Really? I hadn't noticed" Donna said dryly from her position of leaning against the console. "Now do you want to come or not?"

"Oh yes please!" Martha exclaimed. The Doctor ran inside and shut the doors and began to press buttons and flick switches on the console. "So is it just you two then?" Martha asked looking round.

"Yep, ever since I lost…" the Doctor trailed off.

"Rose" Donna supplied sadly. "My friend and his...well lover I guess. She's alive but she's trapped somewhere."

"You're not replacing her!" the Doctor warned Martha.

"All right, all right, didn't think I was" Martha defended herself.

"Off we go" the Doctor said pulling down a lever.

The TARDIS started and threw the pair back a bit.

"Welcome abroad Miss Jones" the Doctor said.

"Thank you Mr Noble, Ms Noble" Martha said reaching out to shake both of their hands.


	18. Shakespeare Code

**Previously:**

"_Welcome abroad Miss Jones" the Doctor said._

"_Thank you Mr Noble, Ms Noble" Martha said reaching out to shake both of their hands. _

The TARDIS stopped suddenly throwing Donna, the Doctor and Martha onto the ground, the Doctor and Donna let out a joyful laugh as they helped one another up, while Martha winced and rubbed the back of her head.

"Blimey do you have to pass a test to drive one of these?" she asked.

"Yes and I failed" the Doctor said putting his coat on.

"It shows" Martha muttered under her breath.

The Doctor ignored Martha and stood by the door, bouncing slightly on his feet "out there, is a brave new world"

Donna rolled her eyes. "He says that to all the girls" she staged whispered to Martha.

"I do not!" the Doctor protested.

"Yes you do. Hell you even said to Jack, which really makes me question your sexuality" Donna smirked as the Doctor stammered and went bright red.

"Where are we?" Martha asked saving the Doctor from further embarrassment.

"See for yourself" the Doctor said opening the door. "guests first"

Martha ran down the ramp and out of the door, followed closely by Donna who couldn't help but grin, Martha's fascination amused her, it reminded her a bit of Rose. Young, innocent and enthusiastic.

"Oh my God, we did it, we travelled in time" Martha smiled and continued as she looked round. "Where are we?" she asked "No, sorry, got to get used to this, whole new language. _When_ are we?"

The Doctor looked up in time to see someone about to throw a bucket of something out of their window and he said "Mind out!" and reached forwards quickly and grabbed Martha and pulled Martha back to stand beside him "Somewhere before the invention of the toilet" he said.

"OI! Watch where you're chucking that mate!" Donna shouted raising a fist to the window.

The Doctor pulled Donna away. "Now, now Donna don't start a fight with the locals just yet. I still have bruises from the last brawl"

"I told you to duck" Donna grumbled. "Not my fault you don't listen"

"I've seen worse, I've worked late night shift, A&E" Martha said trying to stop any more arguments brewing as she shrugged before asking "But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?"

The Doctor and Donna exchanged a confused look before looking at Martha with confusion and said in unison "Of course we can, why do you ask?"

"It's like in films and things, you step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race"

"Tell you what" Donna said rolling her eyes. "Don't step on any butterflies" she turned round and then turned back to her and asked "What have butterflies ever done to you?"

"But what if I killed my grandfather?" Martha asked.

"Have we picked up a murder?" Donna asked the Doctor who ignored her.

"Were you planning on killing your grandfather?" the Doctor asked Martha.

"Well…no"

"Well then" the Doctor said walking off, Donna by his side.

"And this is London?" asked Martha as she looked around and saw nothing that was familiar.

"I think so?" the Doctor said standing there in thought for a second "Round about, um... 1599"

Martha grabbed his right arm "Oh, but hold on. Am I alright?" she paused "I'm not about to get carted off as a slave, am I?"

"Why would they do that?" the Doctor asked without thinking, causing Donna to literally knock sense into him before he realised what Martha meant. "Ouch! Donna, that hurt! You should be fine Martha; I'm not even human, just walk around like you own the place. Works for me"

Martha looked incredulous and the Doctor started to rant.

"Besides, you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not much different from your time" he pointed behind him and said "Look over there, they've got recycling" they walked past two men who were standing beside a barrel of water and the Doctor said "A water cooler moment" they walked past a street prophet who was talking about the world ending and the Doctor said "Global warming and Oh yes and entertainment. Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right we're just down the river from Southwark. Right next to..." the Doctor grabbed Donna's hand who grabbed Martha's and the three of them ran quickly. The Doctor suddenly stopped causing Donna and Martha to stumble a bit "Oh yes! The Globe theatre, brand new, just opened. Strictly speaking, it's not a globe, it's a tetra-decagon, 14 sides...Containing the man himself"

"Oh you don't mean...is Shakespeare in there?" Martha asked.

"Yep!" the Doctor said popping the 'p'.

"Can we go?" Donna asked. "I wanna be able to tell Granddad that I met Shakespeare"

"Great then you could get sectioned" Martha muttered sarcastically.

Donna glared at her. "Do you want a slap?" she asked.

"No" Martha gulped.

"Come on you two, theatre this way" the Doctor shouted as he ran ahead.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor, Donna and Martha clapped along with the rest of the audience as the performance of _'Love's Labour's lost' _ended_. _Martha looked at the man to her right and said "That's amazing, that's just amazing. It was worth putting up with the smell"

The Doctor smiled at her but they continued to clap and Martha was watching the people on the stage and she asked, pointing at two of the actors on the stage. "And those are me dressed as women yeah?

"London never changes" the Doctor muttered causing Martha to giggle. Donna just snorted.

"Where's Shakespeare?" asked Martha "I want to see Shakespeare" she raised her hand and shouted "Author! Author" she then turned and looked at the Doctor to her right and asked "Do people say that, do they shout author?"

The Doctor looked around as the audience surrounding them began to shout "Author!" as Martha had done moments before. The Doctor then looked back at Martha grinning "Well they do now" he said.

They watched as Shakespeare bounded on to the stage.

"Well he's different looking from his portraits" Martha said eyeing him up.

"Mmm isn't he just?" Donna agreed. The two women shared a look and doubled over in giggles.

"He's a genius, sheer genius, this is an opportunity to hear from him first hand" the Doctor babbled in his little fan-boy way.

"Oh! Shut your big fat mouths!" shouted Shakespeare.

The Doctor's grin fell. "Should never meet your heroes Fan-Boy, it always crushes the pedestal you put them on" Donna said grinning.

"You've got excellent taste I'll give you that" Shakespeare paused and looked out at the audience and pointed at a man and said "Oh that's a wig!" the audience laughed again. Shakespeare walked across the stage and said "I know what you're saying _'Love's Labours Lost'_, that's a funny ending, isn't it?" he started to walk again and continued "It just stops. Will the boy's get the girls? Well don't get your hose in a tangle you'll find out soon"

"When" shouted every member of the audience except, Donna and Martha, who were standing in the middle looking around at the other people in the theatre with interest

"Yeah, yeah" said Shakespeare "All in good time. You don't rush a genius" the audience laughed. Suddenly Shakespeare reeled back as though he had been stung, but no one thought about it "When?" he asked "Tomorrow night!" the crowd cheered. "The premiere of my brand new play, a sequel no less. And I call it _'Love's Labour's Won'_

The crowd cheered.

"I'm not an expert" said Martha "But I've never heard of _Love's Labour's Won" _

"Neither have I" Donna said. "But then again I only read Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Dream and Macbeth and that was all for school"

"Something is wrong" the Doctor said darkly.

The two women walked out of the theatre slowly together following the Doctor.

"It must be the lost play!" Martha said looking excited. "Could we film it or something and flog it on the internet"

"NO!" Donna and the Doctor shouted panicked.

"Oh…because that would be bad" Martha said looking slightly ashamed of herself. "So why did it disappear?"

"How should we know? Do we look like Sherlock and bleeding Watson?" Donna demanded, hands on her hips.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor led Donna and Martha away from the Globe Theatre to the local inn they entered and headed up the stairs to see Shakespeare who looked up when the Doctor said "Mr Shakespeare I presume"

"Oh my god please don't tell me, we just stalked Shakespeare" Donna groaned to Martha who said nothing.

"Oh no, no, no" he said as he put his hands over his eyes "Who let you in? No autographs, no you can't have yourself sketched with me and _please _don't ask me where I get my ideas from" he paused, "Now be good lad and shove..." Shakespeare stopped as Martha stepped out from behind the Doctor and Shakespeare said "Hey, nonny, nonny" he smiled "Sit right down here next to me." he turned to the two men that he had been talking to before the three of them had entered and he said "You two, get sewing on them costumes. Get going"

"Come on lads, I think our William's found his new muse"

Shakespeare stood up and said to Martha "Sweet lady" She stepped in front of the Doctor and went and sat down in front of Shakespeare "Such unusual clothes, so fitted"

"Verily, forsooth, egad" said Martha. The Doctor, Donna and Shakespeare looked at her and the former said "No, don't do that" he reached into his pocket and pulled out the psychic paper and turned to Shakespeare and said "I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS and these are my companions Miss Donna Noble and Miss Martha Jones"

Shakespeare looked at the paper long and hard and he said "Interesting, that bit of paper, its blank"

"Ha! You just be out-smarted by Shakespeare" Donna said laughing at the Doctor who was staring at Shakespeare in admiration.

Martha was looking at the paper and she said "No it says, Sir Doctor, Donna Noble and Martha Jones"

"I say it's blank" said Shakespeare.

"Its psychic paper shows people what they want to see, yada, yada, yada" Donna said looking bored.

"Psychic, an unusual word, and a word I have never heard of before and words are my trade." Shakespeare mused "Who are you? And more importantly who is this delicious blackmoore lady?"

Donna and Martha stared at Shakespeare in shock and Martha said "What did you say?"

"Whoops" said Shakespeare "Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl? A swave? A queen of Afric?"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this" said Martha

"Neither can I" Donna mumbled "hey Martha when we get back home you can tell everything you got hit on by Shakespeare, then you might be sectioned" it was obvious that Donna was still peeved at Martha's remark.

"Where are you two ladies from?" Shakespeare asked watching the two in amusement while ignoring the Doctor.

"Oh a faraway place called Freedoina" the Doctor answered for them in a dismissive manner.

Suddenly another voice entered the conversation which was not female, so it wasn't Donna or Martha it was male and since no one had seen Shakespeare or the Doctor move their lips they turned around and they saw a man standing there, he was well dressed and Shakespeare seemed to know him.

"Hold hard a moment!" he said "This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning. I demand to see a script Mr Shakespeare" he said as he advance further into the room "As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and be examined by me before it can be performed"

"Tomorrow morning, first thing. I'll send it round" said Shakespeare

"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. The script now!" shouted the stranger holding out his hand

"I can't"

"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled"

"It's all go round here isn't it?" said Martha. Donna nodded her agreement but watched the two men in interest.

"I'm returning to my office for a banning order" said the stranger as he left the room "If it's the last thing I do _Love's Labour's Won_ will never be played" he turned from the doorway and headed down the stairs and out of the inn

"Well the mystery solved" Martha said sadly "thought it would be something more mysterious"

"S'not always Scooby Doo with us Martha" the Doctor said

A loud scream could be heard from the courtyard and the two women and the Doctor run down to see what was happening. On the dirt covered ground laid the Master of Revels…dead.

"Out of my way" Martha said pushing through "I'm a doctor" Martha began to do CPR on the man, when water came running down from his lips. "Oh my go what is that?"

"By the looks of things he drowned" the Doctor said "but he's definitely not in the river though is he?"

"My god I'll fetch the constable" a woman said running off.

The Doctor, Donna, Martha, Shakespeare and the Land Lady headed back into the inn. "Shall I prepare you a room sir?" the Land Lady asked the Doctor.

"Yes please" the Doctor said before he closed the door to Shakespeare's room and turned to look at Donna, Martha and Shakespeare. "Ok I was wrong, maybe it is always Scooby Doo with us"

"Poor Lynley" Shakespeare said mournfully "but I must ask what land is Freedoina if a woman can be a doctor."

"A land where a woman can be whatever she wishes" Donna retorts glaring at Shakespeare with her arms crossed. The Doctor wondered if this famous man would be in for a slap. "Why be so surprised when you have a queen?"

"Ah but that is God's doing" Shakespeare said. "And what about you Doctor, your face is so young and yet your eyes are so old"

"I read" the Doctor said flatly.

"A trite reply, yeah. That's what I do" he paused and turned to Donna "you look at him with adoration and irritation all rolled into one. Like you're his wife yet you're not. You look so sad and old, as if you lost everything and yet you haven't." He turned to Martha "And you, you look at them as though you're surprised that they even exists. They're as much of a puzzle to you as they are to me"

There was a soft knock on the door and the Land Lady poked her head in "room 12 is ready for you and your companions, sir" she said before backing away.

"I think we should all get some sleep and discuss this tomorrow" the Doctor said getting up.

"Go, I have work to complete" Shakespeare said airily "however I shall get my answers from you Sir Doctor, I shall find out about your constant and confusing performance"

"All the world's a stage" the Doctor mumbled.

"Hmm, I might use that" Shakespeare said.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"All a bit Harry Potter, isn't it?" Martha piped up.

"Oh Harry Potter, wait till you read the seventh book. I cried" the Doctor said.

"He's not kidding, the library was flooded with tissues" Donna muttered as she threw herself onto the bed.

"So is all that magic stuff actually real?" Martha asked.

"What? Nah, its all science and mathematics" the Doctor said sitting down on a stool. "Are you going to stand there all night?"

"Well tell Donna to budge up" Martha said.

"Ask her politely yourself" Donna muttered darkly as she moved to the side. "So this could be some sort of science magic thing?" she asked the Doctor as Martha climbed onto the bed beside her.

"I don't know. I really don't know...it's staring at me in the face Donna and I just don't know...Rose would know. Right now she would have said something right" the Doctor said mournfully.

Donna smiled sadly. "And you'll bang on how fantastic she is and give her a hug and we go off and save the world"

Martha irritated that she was being ignored as the other two kept talking about this Rose girl huffily blew out the candle and lay back trying to get comfortable. She was soon covered by Donna Noble who was snoring loudly in her ear.

Next time she wants a room far, far away from Donna.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Later that night they were woken by a high pitched scream. They had found the Land Lady dead in Shakespeare's room, she seemed to have died of fright, Martha had spotted what looked like a witch out of the window and Shakespeare mentioned Peter Streete the architect had seen witches and was now in Bedlam. The four of them were making their way to Bedlam the following morning to question Peter Streete.

"I must say you are remarkable Miss Jones" Shakespeare said. "it's not every day you see a female doctor from a land where females can be writers and actors"

"Like Donna said last night" Martha said "this land is ruled by a woman"

"And like I said last night, she's royal and that is God's doing" Shakespeare eyed Martha up and down. "though you're a royal beauty"

"Whoa, Nelly" said Martha "I know for a fact that you've got a wife in the country"

"That is country, this is town" said Shakespeare.

Donna snorted. "Men they're all the same." She muttered. She didn't want to admit to herself that he reminded her of Jack. If she did then she would end up mourning the man and not get anything done.

"Come on you three we can have a good flirt later" the Doctor called over his shoulder.

"Is that a promise Sir Doctor?" Shakespeare said in a cheeky Jack-like fashion, damn this maybe harder than Donna thought.

"Oh 53 academics have just punched the air" the Doctor grumbled under his breath.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

When they questioned Peter Streete the witchlike creatures appeared. The Doctor automatically named them a Carrionite and they disappeared with a scream. They went back to the inn and came up with a plan; Donna was to go with Shakespeare to stop the play while Martha backed the Doctor up in his confrontation to the Carrionites. As Donna and Shakespeare walked quickly to the Globe, Shakespeare kept talking.

"So are you going to tell me who it is that you have loved and lost?" he asked as Donna dodged a pile of horse poo with a look of disgust.

"I have no idea what you are talking about Shakey" she said quickening her past.

"Oh don't give me that Donna Noble. There has been a man that you have loved. I remind you of him, was he really that dashingly handsome?"

"Well you both had big egos that's for sure" Donna grumbled.

Shakespeare laughed. "You are an amusing woman Donna Noble. I am glad I get to save the world with you and your friends." They burst through the door and Shakespeare ran out onto the stage. "STOP THE PLAY! STOP THE PLAY!" he shouted.

Everyone froze; Donna stepped onto the stage as one of the actors laughed. "I think our good old pal Will here had a bit too much to drink" the audience chuckled. "Why don't you go off and cool your head Will?"

"He's not drunk you idiots!" Donna sneered. "You have to stop the play!"

Suddenly she felt a crack against her head as she passed out. Someone bastard was soooooooooo going to get a slap when she wakes up.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

When Donna finally pulled herself out of the darkness, the Doctor burst in panting and looking quite pissed off. Stop the play" he shouted "I think that was it. Yeah, stop the play!"

"I hit my head!" Shakespeare protested.

"We were knocked out!" Donna said at the same time.

"Yeah, don't rub it you'll go bald" Suddenly there was a scream and the Doctor ran out on to the stage "I think that's my cue"

Martha, Donna and Shakespeare followed him.

Once they were on the stage, Donna, the Doctor, Martha and Shakespeare looked around, there were black shapes flying around and there were people crying and trying to get out of the theatre "Come on, Will, history needs you" the Doctor said

"Me!" Shakespeare shouted looking horrified "What can I do?"

"Reverse it!" the Doctor snapped.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius, the only man clever enough to do it"

"But what words, I have none ready"

"You're William Bloody Shakespeare!" Donna shouted, looking annoyed, scared and angry.

"But these Carrionite phrases need such precision" Shakespeare protested.

"Trust yourself. When you're locked away in your room, the words just come don't them? Like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm. Words that last forever! That's what you do Will, you choose perfect words. Do it! Improvise" the Doctor said boosting Shakespeare's confidence up.

"Close up this din of hateful, dire decay. Decomposition of your witches plot. You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My dear Doctor tells me I am not! Foul Carrionite spectres cease your show, between the points..." he stopped here and looked at the Doctor for the information that he needed

"7, 6, 1, 3, 9, 0!"

"7, 6, 1,3,9,0! Banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee..." he trailed of and looked at the Doctor, who then looked at Donna and Martha as she had no clue what to say.

"Expelliarmus" Donna suggested desperately. "Abra cadabra, I don't know!"

"Expelliarmus" the Doctor shouted to Shakespeare.

"Expelliarmus!" Shakespeare shouted.

"Good old JK" the Doctor cheered.

The Carrionites were sucked back to wherever they had come from, the stage doors opened and copies of the play flew out and were taken away with the Carrionites.

"Love's Labour's Won, there it goes!" the Doctor said cheering.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDW

It was the next morning and the sun shone as if the Carrionites never attempted to take over the world the night before. Martha and Donna sat there chatting to Shakespeare while the Doctor was mucking about in the back stage.

The Doctor trolled over with a ruff on his neck holding up a gruesome skull "it looks like a Scyorax, amazing I might have to take this to double check"

"Scyorax, I like that word. I may use it" Shakespeare said.

"I should get ten percent, I might have Donna draw up a contract" the Doctor said. "how's your head?"

"Still aches" Shakespeare moaned.

The Doctor took the ruff off his neck and placed round Shakespeare. "Here you go a neck brace. Though you should keep it, it suits you"

"What about the play?" Martha asked suddenly

"Gone. I looked all over. Every single copy of _Love's Labour's Won_ went up in the sky"

"My lost masterpiece" Shakespeare mumbled.

"You could write it up again" Donna said.

"Yeah, maybe not Will" the Doctor said warningly "There's still power in those words. Maybe it should stay forgotten"

"Oh but I've got new ideas" Shakespeare said looking a bit gleeful "Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons, in memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet"

"Ham_net_" said Martha

"Ham_net" _Donna echoed.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Anyway." The Doctor said. "Time we were off. I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS." he said as he picked up the orb "Where this lot can scream for all eternity. And I've got to take Martha back to Freedoina"

"You mean, travel on through time and space?" asked Shakespeare

"You what?"

"My dear Sir Doctor you are still a mystery to me. But it is not hard to work out that you; Donna and Martha are from the future." Shakespeare turned to Martha "Martha let me say good bye to you with a new verse" he took her hand and kissed it "A sonnet for my Dark Lady"

Martha and Donna exchanged surprised and gleeful looks. When suddenly two of the actors came running in.

"Will" shouted two of the actors at the same time "Will, you'll never believe it. She's here! She turned up" one of them said

"We're the talk of the town" the other said.

"She heard about last night, she wants us to perform it again"

"Who?" Martha asked

"Her majesty. She's here!"

Trumpets sounded and a woman walked in "Queen Elizabeth, the first!" the Doctor cried out.

"Doctor!" the queen snarled. "my sworn enemy"

"What?"

"Off with her head!"

"What the hell have you done now?!" Donna shrieked.

"How the hell should I know?! Got to run Will, see you another time. Come on Martha, Donna, RUN!"

The three ran down the street as fast as they could, both could hear the men's footsteps running after them.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"So where are we going next?" Martha asked excitedly. "To the future? Pluto? To see why Queen Elizabeth wants your head cut off?"

The TARDIS landed quietly not a rock or shake at all. The Doctor smiled softly at Martha. "Why don't you go out and see?"

Martha ran out bubbling excitement when she opened the door and stepped her it disappeared immediately and her smile fell. She was home.

"You took me home" she said sullenly.

"Yep! No place like it" the Doctor said. "We did warn you it was going to be one trip and one trip only."

"But you need me!" Martha protested.

"I don't" the Doctor said softly but firmly. "I have Donna and she's the best friend I could ask for. Go on Martha Jones, get some sleep, wake up, go to work, pass your exams and prove to the world how brilliant you are"

"Goodbye Martha" Donna said hugging the woman. "Thank you for helping us out. We'll see you around yeah?"

"Yeah" Martha muttered bitterly as the pair went back into that magical blue box and disappeared. Forever probably.

**Authors note: all Martha fans don't kill me. Martha will be back again, I just couldn't fit her in for the majority of the chapters, Donna is a very demanding character that needs a lot of attention and to be honest you never see much interaction between them on an adventure because they were always separated, makes you wonder if RTD knew the pair might not get along as well as they could. **


	19. Gridlock

**Authors note: to Amanda, about your review. Your theories on Jenny for this fic are incorrect. **

"Right so I was thinking" Donna started as she bounded into the console room freshly showered and changed.

"You thinking? I better go and check if the universe hasn't imploded or anything" the Doctor said looking up with a smirk.

"Oh ha, ha, ha. You're so funny Space-Boy" Donna said sarcastically rolling her eyes. "No seriously. I decided where to go next" she said dropping the sarcasm.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I want to see this New Earth you took Rose to" Donna said firmly. "We can lounge on the apple grass, save the world and have a toast in Rose's name. What do you think?"

The Doctor was silent for a moment. Donna tapped against her thigh nervously, hoping she hadn't pushed too far but then he grinned. "Excellent idea! New, New York off we go! Do you know that technically it's the fifteenth New York, so that would make it New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, New, Ne-"

"JUST SHUT UP AND GET A MOVE ON!" Donna shouted getting annoyed and irritated. She wouldn't have suggested the idea if she thought he would babble about the word 'New',

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They ducked under some shelter, trying to avoid the rain. Donna shivered and rubbed her hands together while the Doctor grinned manically.

"So where abouts are we?" Donna asked. "Because I definitely don't see any apple grass. Were you having me on? Because if you were having me on I'll slap you"

"Hold on, hold on, lets have a look" the Doctor said edging away from Donna as he held the sonic screwdriver to the screen that was built into the wall and when the picture didn't clear he thumped the top of it a fuzzy picture of a blonde woman appeared on the screen.

_"... The driving should be clear and easy with 15 extra lanes opened for the New, New Jersey Expressway"_

A picture of flying cars and the city of New, New York appeared on the screen "Oh! That's more like it" the Doctor said pointing to the screen. "See that's where the apple grass is, no need to slap me now"

"So you landed me in the slums?" Donna growled, narrowing her eyes.

"I know how disappointing" the Doctor said sighing to himself. He looked up and smiled. "The rains stopped. Shall we go exploring?"

They had only just stepped out from the shelter when shutters flew open and people began to shout. "Happy, you want happy. Happy!"

"Customers" a woman said from a stall behind them "Customers. We've got customers"

"We're in business" another woman said

The vender's kept shouting at them to buy stuff from them "No thanks" the Doctor mumbled edging away from the stalls.

"Are they selling drugs?" Donna asked disgusted.

"I think they're selling moods" the Doctor said "sounds like they're selling moods"

"Sounds like they're selling drugs" Donna muttered.

The two of them watched as the vender's called to a blonde woman, she walked up to a vender and asked to buy forget. As she bought it, she told the vender what she wanted to forget.

"Sorry, but hold on a minute what happened to your parents?" the Doctor asked the girl.

"They drove off"

"They might drive back" the Doctor said comfortingly.

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end" she said "I've lost them"

"But they can't have gone far" said Donna "You could find them"

The girl put the forget on her neck "No, no, no, don't" the Doctor protested.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"Your parents" the Doctor said "Your mother and father they're on the motorway"

"Are they?" she asked "That's nice. I'm sorry I won't keep you" she walked away.

The Doctor watched her go, part of him wanted to go after the girl and rip that bloody patch off of her. Another part wanted to buy one so he can forget Galifrey, Rose and all the rest.

"So this is the human race 5 billion years into the future? Off their heads on chemicals" Donna said looking unimpressed. "Nothing ever changes"

Suddenly Donna felt arms grab hold of her and a gun pressing to her head. She screamed loudly and the Doctor turned round to see a man and a woman holding tightly to Donna who was squirming and trying to fight her way out of their clutches.

"I'm sorry" the man said "We just need three"

"Let her go!" the Doctor shouted.

"It's not our fault" the woman said.

"Whatever you want, I can help you" the Doctor said trying to calm down the situation and find out what was going on "I can help but first you've got to let her go"

The couple slowly walked backwards keeping a tight grip on Donna. "We really are sorry" the man said as Donna felt the woman stick something on her neck.

Once again darkness took over. She really had to stop ending up unconscious.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna groaned as she stirred from another forced sleep. Taking in account that she fainted in the hospital, slept soundly on the bed with Martha and then she was knocked out by those actors, she really didn't need any sleep. In fact when she does fall asleep it'll probably be half-way through running for her life knowing her luck. The bed she was lying on was a cold metal bed and she instantly knew she was not in the TARDIS when she woke up she could hear muffled whispers and she looked round to see the couple that grabbed her earlier.

"Take me back" Donna growled as she pointed the gun that was stupidly left near her at the two of them "I don't care who you are or what you want with me, just take me back to my friend" she moved the gun between them. "If you don't there'll be trouble"

"I'm sorry, that's not a real gun" the woman said smiling innocently.

"Well you would say that" Donna said rolling her eyes. "That way I won't shoot you and run off"

"Where would you get a gun these days?" the woman asked. "I wouldn't even know how to fire"

"Well I do, so I'm warning yer, one wrong move and I'll shoot" Donna said glaring as she slowly placed the gun down.

"What's your name?" the woman asked

"Donna" Donna answered as she crossed her arms defensively."Donna Noble"

"Well I'm Cheen" said the woman "And this is Milo and I swear we're sorry, we're really, really sorry. We just needed access to the fast lane, but I promise as soon as we arrive, we'll drop you off and you can go back and find your friend."

"Seriously!" Donna said disbelievingly.

"I swear, look honestly patch" Cheen moved her hair back to reveal a sticker on her neck.

"It's still kidnapping though, you could have asked a friend." Donna admonished. "Where are we anyway?" she asked curiously.

"We're on the motorway" Milo grunted.

"What's that then, fog?" Donna asked peering out of the windscreen.

"It's exhaust fumes" Cheen explained.

"We're going out to Brooklyn" Milo carried on. "Everyone says the air is so much cleaner. And we couldn't stay at Pharmacy town, because..."

"Well cause of me. I'm pregnant" Cheen grinned patting her stomach."We only discovered it last week. Scans say it's gonna be a boy"

"Right, now what do I do. Congratulate my kidnappers?" Donna said her voice dripping in sarcasm.

"We're not kidnappers. Not really" Cheen said shyly.

"No you're idiots" Donna snapped as she reached for Cheen's neck and she removed the honesty patch "You're having a baby and you're wearing that? Not any more"

"We'll be as fast as we can" Milo said reassuringly "We'll take the motorway to the Brooklyn Flyover and then it's gonna take a while cause there's no fast lane, just ordinary roads, but at least it's direct"

"It's only 10 miles"

"How long is it gonna take?" Donna asked eagerly. "My friend is probably going berserk. Knowing him is on another suicidal mission just to get me back"

"About six years" Cheen said nervously.

"WHAT?!"

"It'll be just in time for him to start school" Milo grinned.

"Sorry for not being happy for you but right now I'm a bit worried about the fact I'm stuck in a cramped car with two strangers for six years! One who will be puking, screaming and then producing another puking screaming passengers. I'm not going to play blooming babysitter while you play hooky in the bathroom" Donna ranted waving her hands in the air furiously. She then paused when she realised something."Hold on, six years?" she asked "Ten miles in six years? How come?"

Milo and Cheen had tried to explain to Donna but without success, Donna got easily frustrated and slapped Milo just to shut him up. She was now staring out of the window hoping the Doctor will get her out of here soon.

"How many cars are out there?" she asked loudly.

"I don't think anyone knows" Cheen answered as she offered a packet of food to Donna "Here we go. Hungry?"

"Thanks I'm starving" Donna said snatching up the offered packet; she hadn't eaten anything since the lump of bread before she left Shakespeare. "How far down is it to the fast lane?"

"It's right at the bottom, underneath the traffic jam" Milo said keeping a distance from Donna. "Not many people can afford three passengers so its empty down there. Rumour has it you can reach up to 30 miles an hour"

"Wow that is so super fast, I don't know how to contain my excitement" Donna said sarcastically, she looked around in distaste of what was going to be her living arrangements for the next six years. "But how are you supposed to live inside this thing? It's tiny!"

"Oh we stoked up" Cheen explained cheerfully. "We've got self replicating fuel, muscle stimulants for exercise and there's a chemical toilet at the back and all waste products are recycled as food"

Donna immediately turned green and dropped the bag of food she had been eating.

"Oh another gap" Milo said excitedly "This is brilliant! Car 4-6-5-diamond-6 on decent to fast lane. Thank you very much". Milo was now explaining to Donna (while still maintaining the distance) how far that they had to go before they reached the fast lane "See?" he asked "We've got another 10 layers to go, and we're scorching"

Donna smiled slightly, but it dropped from her face when there was a rumbling sound outside the car "What's that?" she asked sounding scared, she was worried that it meant the little tin car was going to snap in half or something. "It's coming from underneath

"It's that noise isn't it? It's like Kate said, the stories are true" Cheen panicked.

"What stories?" Donna asked interestedly, trying to keep her mind of the noises.

"It's the sound of the air vents that's all" Milo said rolling his eyes as he was trying to calm the two girls down "The exhaust fumes travel down, so at the base of the tunnel they've got the air vents"

"No, but the stories are much better" Cheen said. "They say people go missing on the motorway, some cars just vanish, never to be seen again, cause there's something living down there, in the smoke. Something huge and hungry. And if you get lost on the road it's there waiting for you" there was a snarling sound

"Well, like I said, air vents" he said "Going down to the next layer"

"Except, look out there" Donna said "Does it look like the air vents are working? Because it doesn't take a genius to work out that they're not" There was a growling sound outside the car. "So, what's the noise really?"

"Nah, kids stuff!" Milo said dismissively as he picked up the two way radio "Car 4-6-5-diamond-6, on decent"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Roughly five minutes within the fast lane, they were attacked by some sort of giant creature that wanted them for something, they began to speed up and now Donna was watching them trying to get out of the fast lane at the exits, Milo tried each one and they were all failing.

"Try again" Cheen shrieked, Milo did so, but there was still nothing. "What are we gonna do?" Cheen asked gripping tightly to the dashboard.

"We keep going round, we'll do the whole loop, by the time we come back round, they'll be open" Milo said calmly. There was a growling sound

"You still calling that air vents?" Donna asked sweetly.

"What else could it be?" Milo answered; Donna rolled her eyes at his denial and stupidity.

The growling continued and Cheen was getting terrified. "What the hell is that?" Cheen screamed.

"It's just the hydraulics" answered Milo calmly

"Oh don't be stupid" Donna said smacking the back of Milo's head.

"It's all exhaust fumes out there, nothing can live there" Milo protested as he rubbed the back of his head, wincing.

Before Donna could do him even more damage, a woman's voice sounded over the comms system _"Calling car 4-6-5-diamond-6. Repeat, calling car 4-6-5-diamond-6" _

Milo picked up the two way radio. "This is car 4-6-5-diamond-6, who's that? And where are you?"

_"I'm in the fast lane, about 50 yards behind. Can you get back up? Can you get off the fast lane?"_

"We only have permission to go down, we need the Brooklyn Flyover"

_"It's closed, go back up"_

"We can't, we'll just go round"

_"Don't you understand they're closed" she answered "They're always closed. We're stuck down here. There's something else out there in the fog. Can't you hear it?"_

"That's the air vents"

_"Jehovah, what are you? Some stupid kid? Get out of here!" there was screaming _

Milo heard the screaming "What was that?" he shouted.

_"We can't move it got us"_

"What's happening?" Donna snatched the radio and kept shouting. "What's got you? What is it?"

_"I don't know..."_

"Hello?"

_"Just drive, you idiots. Get out of here!!" There was more screaming_

"Can you hear me? Hello?" Milo shouted.

"Just do as she said, drive, get us out of here" Donna snarled.

"But where?" Milo asked.

"Just straight ahead and fast" Donna said.

"What is it? What's out there? What's happening?" Cheen sobbed. There was something banging on the outside of the car, Cheen was now completely and utterly terrified. "Go faster" she shouted.

"I'm at full speed" Milo shouted.

"Pathetic" Donna muttered. "Turn everything off" she ordered them.

"You've got to be joking" Milo said.

"Listen, it's all fog out there how can they see us?"She asked "Maybe it's the engine, or the sound or the heat or the light, I don't know, but if you turn everything off they might not be able to find us"

"What if you're wrong?" Milo demanded.

"JUST DO IT!"

Milo obeyed and whatever was chasing them stopped.

"They've stopped" Cheen stated with a sigh.

"Yeah, but they're still out there" said Milo

"How did you think of that?" Cheen asked Donna ignoring Milo.

"I saw it in a film" Donna shrugged. "They used to do it in submarines. Trouble is I can't remember what they did next"

"Well you'd better think of something" Milo said. "Cause we've lost the air-con. If we don't switch the engines back on we won't be able to breathe"

"How long have we got?" Donna asked nervously.

"Eight minutes maximum" Milo read out.

"Damn!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"How much air is left?" Cheen asked after a prolonged silence.

"Two minutes" Milo said quietly.

"There's always the Doctor" Donna said reassuringly "My friend. He'll think of something"

"Donna no one is coming" Milo growled.

"You don't know him" Donna sneered. "He'll come for me; he always does in the end."

"He looked kind of nice" Cheen commented.

"He's a lot more than that. Annoying, eats the last chocolate, likes to tinker with my hair dryer or toothbrush but he's wonderful. He saves everyone he can" Donna said smiling softly.

"I never even asked. Where's home?" Cheen asked.

"Left it down in the slums. The TARDIS has been my home for god knows how long." Donna said smiling." When I met the Doctor, I didn't really think, I just followed him. Left my grandfather and mother behind" she paused "My mum and Granddad. If I died here they'd never know"

Cheen gave her a comforting squeeze on the shoulder.

"So who is he then this Doctor?" Milo asked.

"He's my brother in everything but blood" Donna said firmly. "But I don't know much about him, really" she admitted.

"But that means that the only hope right now is a complete stranger. Well that's no use" Cheen cried out.

"He's not a stranger! Just because I don't know much about him doesn't mean I don't know him" Donna snapped."Because, you haven't seen what he can do. Honestly, just trust me. Both of you. You've got your faith, you've got your songs and hymns and I've got the Doctor"

"Right" said Milo as he began to power up the car "Good luck" he said

"And you" Donna nodded.

As they drove the creatures began to attack them again. They screamed and clung tightly to one another when suddenly the screen came on in the car and the Doctor grinned at them.

"DOCTOR!" Donna screamed.

"Hello I'm the Doctor, sorry no Sally she was just a hologram, now do what I say and fly up. Fly out in the sunlight" he said.

"We can't go up, we'll hit the lane" Milo said.

"Do what he says before I slap you again" Donna growled, causing Milo to gulp. "Drive up. You've got access above. Now go!" Milo directed the car up and they saw that there were barely any cars on the motorway.

"It's daylight" Cheen whispered awed."Oh my God, that's the sky, the real sky!"

"He did it" Donna grinned. "I told you! He did it" she cheered as Milo and Cheen kissed

"Car 4-6-5-diamond-6, I've sent you a flight path come to the senate, I hope you haven't slapped anyone Donna." The Doctor said pointedly.

"Too late" Milo grumbled.

"I'm on my way!" Donna said cheerfully.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"DOCTOR!" Donna screamed as she entered a building filled with skeletons.

"Over here!" the Doctor called from the other end of the hall. Donna ran and tackled the Doctor into a big hug. "Hello, you all right?"

"Fine" Donna said. "Annoyed as hell but fine. How did you do it? How did you managed to save everyone" she asked eagerly.

The Doctor's eyes widened as he remembered something. "The Face of Boe" he shouted pulling Donna along as they ran to the room, where the giant face that once hitted on Donna laid free from his jar, a cat like woman sobbing.

"This is Hame" the Doctor explained."She's a cat. Don't worry" Donna fell to her knees before the face and slowly reached out to touch him "He's the one who saved you, not me, I just did what he asked me to"

"My lord gave his life to save the city" Hame sobbed. "And now he is dying"

"No, don't say that" the Doctor begged. "Not old Boe, plenty of life left"

_"It's good to breathe the air once more"_

"Who are you really?" Donna whispered. "You knew me before I met you"

"I don't even know" the Doctor answered for the Face of Boe, kneeling beside Donna. "Legends says that the Face of Boe has live for billions of years. Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now"

_"Everything has its time. You know that old friend better than most"_

"The legend says more" Novice Hame said wiping her tears away with a paw.

"Don't" the Doctor said. "There's no need for that"

"It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveller" Hame argued.

"Yeah, but not yet" the Doctor argued."Who needs secrets eh?"

_"I've seen so much" _said the Face of Boe _"Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind as you are the last of yours, Doctor"_

"That's why we have to survive" the Doctor said firmly."Both of us"

"Don't go" Donna pleaded in a whisper.

_"But I must. Oh Donna Noble, how I missed you. You must know that I never stopped loving you, even after you were long gone from the universe." _the Face of Boe said to Donna before turning his large eyes to the Doctor._"But know this, Time Lord, you are not alone"_

He then closed his eyes, his breathing slowed to a stop and he died peacefully. Hame sobbed loudly as the Doctor looked shocked and Donna felt tears fall down her cheeks for the face she never knew well...yet.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"I don't even know who he is and yet he loves me" Donna whispered staring at her mug of hot chocolate she fixed up for herself and the Doctor, a large plate of chocolate biscuits between them as they pondered silently.

"But you will do" the Doctor said. "One day"

Donna took a sip of her hot chocolate and sighed. "What do you think he meant by you're not alone?" the Doctor shrugged. "Do you think he meant me? Or maybe Rose?"

"Rose isn't coming back" the Doctor said firmly. "And somehow I don't think he meant you"

Donna squeezed his hand tightly. "I'm here anyway. For as long as I can be." She took a deep breath. "Tell me about Galifrey, you haven't mentioned it for ages"

"The sky was a burnt orange colour..."


	20. Daleks in Manhatten

The Doctor looked up from his work on the console to see Donna standing there with a smug grin on her face. Alarm bells went off inside his head, this was not good. The fact that she was holding something behind her back just made the bells go even louder.

"Yes Donna?" the Doctor asked raising an eyebrow, trying to keep calm. Donna's smug little grin grew...crap, this is not good.

"I!" she announced standing tall and proud. "Want to go shopping. In normal New York"

"You want to what?" the Doctor asked his eyes widening.

"Shopping, normal New York, lots of clothes and shoes" Donna said slowly, exaggerating each word.

"NO!" the Doctor shouted. He then coughed and tried to calm down. "What I meant was Donna, is that not under any circumstances will I take you shopping. That is what your mother is for"

"I thought you would say that" Donna said. "Which is why I got this" she held up a few sheets of paper up.

The Doctor groaned. "God not the contract" he moaned.

"Yes the contract" Donna said flipping through the pages, she coughed. "Clause 7 states that when I request to go shopping you take me directly to the nearest shopping planet you can get to. If I request a certain place, you take me there no questions asked and in return I do the dishes _and _buy you a lovely bunch of bananas"

"Remind me again why I signed this?" the Doctor said.

"Because you were under so much guilt and I need reassurance that you won't leave me behind again." Donna said sweetly.

"But the shopping!"

"Well I had to milk this contract for everything it was worth" Donna said. "New York 2007 now"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna opened the door and grinned at the sight of New York City that was across the water. "So far it's looking good, I can see New York, but where the hell are we?" she called over her shoulder.

The Doctor stepped out and smiled at Donna "turn around" Donna turned round and her mouth dropped open at the sight. She was standing at the foot of the Statue of Liberty.

"Oh my god" she whispered staring up at it in awe. "She's beautiful"

"Gateway to the New World. 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free'" the Doctor recited. He then scanned the view "hmmm…somehow I don't think we're in 2007 like I was aiming for"

"What makes you think that?" Donna asked narrowing her eyes at the Doctor.

"Well the Empire State Building isn't even finished yet" the Doctor said pointing to the building "looks like it needs a couple more floors before it is" he spotted something on a bench not so far and walked up to it.

"Well it doesn't matter when we are. We're going back and going straight to 2007" Donna snapped after him.

"1st November 1930" the Doctor said holding out a newspaper in front of Donna's face.

"Hooverville Mystery Deepens" Donna read out. She groaned and glared at the Doctor "I hate you sometimes." She sighed. "Fine we'll play flipping Scooby Doo but you owe me a shopping trip"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor and Donna strolled through the park towards Hooverville, the Doctor babbling excitedly. "Because this is what a year after the Wall Street Crash, we just missed the roaring twenties where New York was at its height! This is amazing real life history."

"Whatever" Donna grumbled crossing her arms as she sulked about the lost shopping trip.

There was a fight going on and the two girls watched it in silence as the man that seemed to be the leader broke it up.

"I take it you're the leader here then?" the Doctor called out.

"No he's the bossy know it all" Donna said sarcastically rolling his eyes. "Of course he's the bloody leader!"

The man turned round and eyed the two of them "My name is Solomon. What is your name?"

"The Doctor and this is Donna Noble"

"A doctor you say? Well we have a few lawyers and stockbrokers but you must be the first doctor, you're welcome to stay with us if you have no place to go" Solomon said holding his hands out near the fire to keep them warm. "This is Hooverville where there is no superior everyone, man and woman, white and black, adult and children are equal. We are a true society and you are welcome"

"Thank you" the Doctor said, he held out the newspaper. "I'm here to ask about this. What do you mean by missing? I mean it's not like you can keep a register here"

The man took the newspaper and looked at it sadly "it's different, it's not like they leave without a note. They get taken in the middle of the night. We hear them calling for help and by the time we arrive they have vanished into thin air."

"And you're sure someone's taking them?" Donna asked.

"Miss Noble, when you've got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you've got. Knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, a fire still burning"

"Have you been to the police?" Donna asked. "Surely they should be doing something!"

"Yeah, we tried that." Solomon said "Another deadbeat goes missing, big deal"

Two men came running up to them "Solomon, he's here! He' here! Mr Diagoras is here!" one of them shouted excitedly. Solomon got up and leaded the two women to a crowd that was forming round three suited men.

"I need men!" a man in a black suit shouted that Donna assumed was Mr Diagoras. "Volunteers, I got a little job for you and you sure look like you could use the money"

"Yeah, what's the money?" one of the men called out.

"A dollar a day" Diagoras answered.

The men all around him were laughing and Solomon stepped forwards "What's the work?"

"A little trip down the sewers" Diagoras said "Got a tunnel collapsed, needs clearing and fixing, any takers?"

"A dollar a day is a slave's wage" Solomon said, all the men agreed with him noisily. "And men don't always come back up, do they?"

"Accidents happen" said Diagoras

"What sort of accidents" the Doctor asked holding his hand up in the air to get the man's attention.

You don't need work that's fine. Anybody else?" the Doctor raised his hand again. "Enough with the questions" Diagoras snapped.

"Oh, no, no, no. I'm volunteering. I'll go" the Doctor said cheerfully.

Donna looked at him and said "I'll kill you for this" as she raised her hand "and you so owe me a proper shopping trip even if it means I have to handcuff you to myself. In fact I'll gag you as well"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna was talking to the young man instead of talking to the Doctor, her way of saying she is not forgiving him. She had found out that the young man's name was Frank. "So what about you Frank?" she asked "You're not from round these parts, are you?"

Frank laughed "Oh you can talk!" he said "No, I'm Tennessee born and bred"

"So, how come you're here?" Donna asked interestedly.

"Oh" Frank answered "My Daddy died, Momma couldn't afford to feed us all, so I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself. So I put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot of runaways in the camp, younger than me, from all over, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas. Solomon keeps a look out for us" he paused "So what about you? You're a long way from home"

"Yeah, I'm just a hitcher too" Donna grinned. "Best job ever"

"You stick with me, you'll be alright" Frank said winking.

Just before her Donna spotted something glowing ahead. "Doctor, over here!" she called as she ran off and crouched down to look at it. The Doctor crouched down beside her and pulled out his black rimmed glasses. "It's gone off, whatever it is. It stinks" Donna complained as the Doctor picked it up an "And you've got to pick it up" Donna muttered glaring at him. "You better not lick that" she warned him. "Or I'll wash your mouth out with soap when we get back"

The Doctor ignored her and he sniffed it. "Shine your torch through it" he ordered Donna, she did as she was asked. "Composite organic matter. Donna, your opinion?"

"It's not human, I know that"

"No it's not" the Doctor agreed as he stood up "And I'll tell you something else, we must be at least a half a mile in. I don't see any sign of a collapse, do you? So why did Mr Diagoras send us down here?"

"Where are we now?" Donna asked looking around."What's up above?"

"Well, we're right underneath Manhattan" the Doctor said putting the brain in his pocket and wiping his hands. He the helped Donna up.

"You're so putting that suit in the washing machine, ten times before I let you wear it again" Donna announced eyeing his trousers in disgust.

"Oh I just knew you were after my body" the Doctor joked winking. Donna slapped him; the loud crack could be heard miles away.

"We're way beyond half a mile" Solomon said eventually deciding to not comment on the Doctor's or Donna's behaviour. "There's no collapse, no nothing"

"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Donna wondered.

"Looks like it" the Doctor muttered rubbing his cheek.

"So why did he want people to come down here?" Frank asked.

"Solomon, I think it's time you took these two back, Donna and I will be much quicker on our own" the Doctor said, suddenly there was a squealing noise that echoed all the way through the system of tunnels, it sounded like a pig

"What the hell was that?" Solomon demanded looking panicked.

"HELLO?" Frank shouted, his voice echoing throughout the tunnel.

"Shh!!" Donna hissed looking furious.

"Frank!"Solomon admonished the young man.

"What if it's one of the folks gone missing?" Frank asked "You'd be scared half mad down here on your own"

"You think they're still alive?" the Doctor asked.

"Heck we ain't seen no bodies down here." Frank replied. "Maybe they just got lost"

The squealing came again, louder and closer, the five occupants of the tunnel turned around trying to find the source of the noise

"I never heard nobody make a sound like that" Solomon said.

They found some sort of pig/human hybrid creature crouching in the corner. The Doctor tried to talk to it when more slowly stalked towards them. They ran in blind panic and as they climbed up the ladder, on of the pig creatures grabbed hold of Frank and pulled him away.

"Frank!" Solomon shouted.

The Doctor helped Solomon over the hole and closed off the ladder so that nothing could get to them. "We can't go back after them" he said as Donna tried to stop him

"I've got to go back down" Donna cried out. "We can't leave him, he's a kid!"

"No," Solomon said."I'm not losing anyone else. Those creatures were from hell itself. If we go after him, they'll take us all. There' nothing we can do"

Suddenly a blonde dressed in red came round from behind a shelve and held a gun up at them. "Hands up in the air. Now tell me what have you done to Lazlo?"

"Who the flipping heck is Lazlo?" Donna shouted frustratedly.

"Lazlo's my boyfriend" the blonde paused. "Was my boyfriend, until he disappeared two weeks ago. No letter, no goodbye, no nothing" she was waving the gun about. "And I'm not stupid. I know some guys are just pigs, but not my Lazlo. I mean what kind of guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses?"

The Doctor edged slowly towards her indicating that she should put the gun down "Might...might just help if you put that down" he suggested. The woman looked at the gun as if she had forgotten that she even had it

"Huh? Oh this? Don't worry it's just a prop, it was either this or a spear" the woman chucked it onto a basket behind Donna.

"What do you think happened to Lazlo?" Donna asked.

"I wish I knew, one minute he's there, then the next, zip, vanished"

"Listen, what was your name?" the Doctor asked.

"Tallulah" she answered "three L's and an H"

"Right, we can try to find Lazlo, but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night" the Doctor told Tallulah.

"And there are creatures, such creatures..." Solomon said shivering.

"What do you mean creatures?" Tallulah asked looking curious.

"Tallulah, I won't be subtle, according to the Doctor I can't do subtly" Donna said. "Right now everyone is in danger and since I don't know alien science or whatever, I don't know what's causing this. However I'm sure the Doctor will work something out...if not your theatre might be in danger of blowing up"

"One incarnation that was trigger happy, just one and I never live it down" the Doctor grumbled under his breath before turning to Solomon. "Solomon will you go back and warn everyone at Hooverville? I promise you that I'll find Frank"

"For some wild reason I believe you Doctor" Solomon said "I'll warn the others, you do whatever it takes to save Frank"

"But if you need a safe place to hide out you can hang out in my dressing room" Tallulah said. "Then we can find Lazlo and this Frank guy together"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna was now sitting with Tallulah who was getting ready for that night's show "Lazlo" she said "he'd wait for me after the show. Walk me home like I was a lady. He'd leave a flower for me on my dressing table. Every day, just a single rosebud"

"Haven't you reported him missing?" Donna asked. "If my man went missing I would be plastering posters up and nagging the police"

"Sure I went to the police, but he's just a stagehand, who cares?" Tallulah said sadly."The management certainly don't"

"Can't you kick up a fuss or something?" Donna asked.

"Okay, so then they fire me" Tallulah replied moodily.

"But they'd listen to you; you're one of the stars"

"Oh honey" Tallulah said with a hint of laughter in her voice "I goy one song in a backstreet revue and that's only cause Heidi Chicane broke her ankle, which had nothing to do with me no matter what anybody says." she turned to the mirror and continued "I can't afford to make a fuss. If I don't make this months rent, then before you know it I'm in Hooverville"

"Okay, I get it" Donna shrugged.

"It's the Depression sweetie. Your heart might break, but the show goes on, cause if it stops, you starve." she stood up "Every night I go out there, sing, dance, keep going, hoping that he's gonna come back" she started to cry, Donna held her in her arms tightly.

"I'm sorry" she said patting the girl's back who pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"Hey, you're lucky, you got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit" Tallulah said trying to lighten the mood up.

"Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww that is just wrong in so many ways" Donna said shuddering. "There is nothing hot or potato-y about him. His a skinny prick that hogs all the chocolate biscuits. More like a brother to me"

"Still you've got to live in hope, cause, well look" Tallulah said shrugging as she lifted up a small white flower from her dressing table and handed it to Donna. "On my dressing table every day still"

"Do you think it's Lazlo?" Donna asked

"I don't know" Tallulah sighed. "If he's still around, why's he being all secret, like he doesn't want me to see him?" she got up and peered out of her dressing room door."Girls, its show time" she called. Tallulah then turned to Donna "Come on, honey, take a look. Ever been on stage before?"

"Oh, a little bit" Donna said shrugging. "You know, Shakespeare"

"How dull is that" Tallulah said laughingly "Come and see a real show", she dragged Donna out on to the stage and left her at the curtain and then she went on the stage herself.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Tallulah was singing on the stage and Donna watched from the side and she was really enjoying the show, the song Tallulah was singing was sinfully gorgeous, reminded her of Jack in a way. As she was watching she spotted a man on the other side of the stage, she started to sneak across the stage without disrupting Tallulah's show, but she failed as the first dancer she hid behind said "What are you doing?" she eventually managed to reach Tallulah who asked "What are you doing?" when she fell taking one of the dancers with her.

Donna was still trying to get to the other side of the stage and Tallulah was trying to get her off the stage. "Get off the stage, you're ruining it" she said

"But look over there" Donna pointed to the man, it was the same man that the Doctor had spoken to in the tunnels 'What's he doing here' When Tallulah spotted the man with the face of a pig she screamed and the man ran away, Donna was hot on his heels. She followed him backstage and she tried to get him to stop "Wait" she shouted and she continued to run. "But you're different to the others. Just wait" she reached the prop store and there was no sign of him

Donna was standing in the prop store when there were suddenly noises all around her and before she knew it she was surrounded by those pig things, one of them grabbed her and she screamed as loud as she possibly could.

Later that day the Doctor will tell her that she almost broke his ear drums, receiving a smack for his cheek.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna was annoyed, she had been kidnapped again, she had no idea where she was, or where she was going and her only hope was that the Doctor would find her and soon, she struggled in her captors grip and screamed "Let me go" they only held her tighter and eventually they shoved her roughly into a wall and stood boxing her in as though they were waiting for someone or something, there were footsteps coming towards them and Donna was even more terrified than before until she heard a familiar voice

"Donna" Frank said sounding pleased to see her

"You're alive" Donna said sighing in relieve, he just smiled at her and she was shoved into his arms by the pig creatures. "OI! Watch it!" she shouted at the pig creatures. "We thought you were dead" she muttered to Frank, the pig creature shoved them."Alright, alright, we're moving, keep your tail on" she grabbed Frank's hand and followed the other prisoners and pig creatures to where ever it was that they were going

"Where are they taking us?" Frank asked

"I don't know, but we can find out what's going on down here" she said as they were led away

The pig creatures made the group of prisoners stop. "What's going on?" Frank whispered to Donna.

"How the hell should I know?" Donna asked.

Suddenly there was a grating voice which said "Silence! Silence" Donna gasped and shuddered as she heard the dalek. She never thought she would see one again. Not after the Gamestation, not after Canary Wharf, both incidents costed her loved ones. "You will form a line"

"Do as it says" Donna told the others.

"The female is wise, obey" a second dalek appeared

"Report"

"These are strong specimens"

"They will help the Dalek cause" Donna was worried, if the daleks were up to something then that meant bad news for the rest of the universe. "What is the stasis of the final experiment?"

"The Dalekanium is in place, the conductor is now complete"

"Then I will extract prisoners for selection"

"All humans will line up for testing"

Donna looked to see large pepper pots with a big eyestalk. Frank pulled her to stand next to him his hand holding hers tightly. The pepper pot thing lifted a sucker that was attached to it like an arm and moved it up and down before a man standing next to Frank.

"Lower intelligence" it croaked

"Are you callin' me stupid?" the man shouted

"Yes" the dalek said

"Why I ought ta-"

"EX-TERMINATE!"

Donna looked horrified as the dalek fired the laser that was attached to it like a second arm and shot the man down. It then moved to Frank and waved the sucker thing up and down.

"If that bloody pepper pot says I have lower intelligence I shall punch it right in that glass eye thing of its" Donna hissed to him.

"Higher intelligence" the pepper pot said to Frank before moving on to Donna. It scanned her quickly "higher intelligence"

She breathed a sigh and decided the next time her mother berates her for being useless she can use this memory to remind her that she is intelligent.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Psst Donna"

Donna turned to the side to see the Doctor walking beside her. "Oh I am so glad to see you!" she cried out.

"Yeah you can kiss me later; I need you to find out what the daleks are up to"

"I wouldn't kiss you if you were the last man in the whole of time and space" Donna said disgusted. "Can't you do it?" she asked.

"They know my face. They'll kill me on sight" the Doctor whispered. "Please Donna; they're crowding round the black one. Ask them now"

"Daleks!" Donna said loudly catching their attention as they turned to her "I demand to be told, what is this final experiment"

"You will bear witness" one of them said.

"To what?" Donna asked.

"This is the dawn of a new age"

"I've seen a lot of new ages, be clearer. What does that mean?" Donna said rolling her eyes at the daleks pathetic answers.

"We are the only four daleks in existence. So the species must evolve. A life outside the shell. The children of Skaro must walk again" the dalek stopped talking and turned to the black dalek.

The prisoners watched as it's eyestalk changed colour from blue to black and then it's shell opened and a man stepped out, he wore Mr Diagoras' suit, so it was completely obvious who that dalek had used to walk again, his head was completely ugly, he had tentacles growing out of his face and he had one eye, just like the daleks inside the shells had only one eye, his brain however looked as thought it would come out of the very thin layer of skin it was beneath

"What is it?" Donna asked wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"I am a human Dalek"


	21. Evolution of the Daleks

**Previously:**

_"I am a human Dalek" _

"These humans" the Human Dalek said waving a hand to Donna, Frank and the other humans. "Prepare them for hybridisation" the human pig hybrids shuffled towards Donna and the others menacingly when some soft jazz music filled the air.

"What is that?" the Human Dalek asked looking around.

The Doctor came out of his hiding place."Ah, well, now. That would be me" he said as he put the radio down. "Hello, surprise, boo, etcetera" Donna rolled her eyes.

"Doctor?" Sec snarled.

"The enemy of the daleks" a dalek shouted.

"Ex-terminate him!" another cried out.

"Wait" Sec shouted as he held up his hands

The Doctor walked towards Sec with his hands in his pockets "Well then," he said "A new form of dalek. Fascinating and very clever"

"The cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter"

"How did you end up on 1930?" the Doctor asked.

"Emergency Temporal Shift"

"That must have roasted up your power cells, eh?" the Doctor said scratching his ear."Time was four Dalek could've conquered the world. But instead, you're skulking away, hidden in the dark, experimenting. All of which results in you"

"I am Dalek in Human form"

"But what does it feel like?" the Doctor asked as he went to stand in front of Dalek Sec "You can talk to me Dalek Sec. It's Dalek Sec, isn't it, that's your name? You've got a name and a mind of your own. Tell me what you're thinking right now."

"I feel Humanity"

"That's good" the Doctor said.

"I feel everything we wanted for mankind, which is ambition, hatred, aggression and war"

"Hang on a bleeding minute. That's not what humanity is about!" Donna shouted, outraged.

"I think it does" Sec said calmly.

"Us humans feel love, happiness, compassion, laughter, sadness and grieve. We don't constantly plot, hate and fight like a bloody mini Hitler!" Donna screeched causing the Doctor to smirk.

"So what have you achieved, then, with this final experiment, eh? Nothing! Because I can show you what you're missing with this thing. A simple little radio" the Doctor said patting the radio.

"What is the purpose of that device?" one of the daleks demanded to know.

"Well exactly, it plays music, what's the point of that? Oh with music" he said "You can dance to it, sing to it, fall in love to it" he waggled his eyebrows pointedly at Donna who held her middle finger up at him. "Unless you're a Dalek, then it's just noise" he pointed the sonic screwdriver at the radio and a shrill buzzing sound came from it. "Run!!" the Doctor shouted.

The Daleks gathered around Sec to protect him as the Doctor led the prisoners away.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"These daleks sound like the stuff of nightmares" Solomon said gravely staring into the fire. "And they want to breed?"

"They're splicing themselves onto human bodies and if I'm right, then they've got a large breeding stock right here in Hooverville. You've got to get everyone out" the Doctor said.

"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall. There's nowhere else to go" Solomon argued.

"I'm sorry Solomon, you've got to scatter, go anywhere, get on the rail roads, travel across state, just get out of New York" the Doctor said "if you don't they'll capture you and turn you into foul things, forcing you to become a killer"

"There's got to be a way to reason with these things"

"No there's not. They don't negotiate"

"Surely there must be something they want"

"All of you dead" the Doctor snarled "Daleks are bad enough at any time, but right now they're vulnerable. That makes them more dangerous than ever"

Suddenly there was a shout from the tree line "They're coming. They're coming"

"A sentry must have seen something" Solomon said getting up.

"They're here, I've seen them, they're monsters" the terrified man said that was now running into the camp

All around the camp the men picked up their weapons and moved together in the circle that they had formed around Solomon, the Doctor, Donna, Frank and Tallulah who was just plain scared.

"We need to get out of the park" Donna said.

"We can't" Frank said "They're on all sides. They're driving everyone back towards us"

The men from the camps outskirts were driven back to the centre. The daleks came, there were only two them and Frank stepped forwards and pointed his gun at one of the Daleks and shot, but nothing happened.

The Doctor pushed the gun down. "That won't work".

The daleks suddenly began to attack the camp.

All around there were fires and people screaming, they didn't know how many fatalities there were yet but suddenly the daleks eventually stopped the attack. "The humans will surrender"

"Leave them alone" Donna shouted.

Solomon stepped forwards, the Doctor grabbed him "No, Solomon, stay back!"

"I'm told that I'm addressing the daleks is that correct?" he paused "From what I hear, you're outcasts too"

"Solomon, don't"

"Doctor, this is my township, you will respect my authority" he pushed the Doctor away from him. "Just let me try".

Solomon stepped forwards again holding up his weapon as a gesture of surrender. "Daleks, aren't we the same? Underneath, aren't we all kin?" he put down his gun down. "Cause, you see, I've just discovered that, just this very day, that God's universe is a thousand times bigger than I thought it was and that scares me. Oh yeah, terrifies me right down to the bone. But surely it's got to give me hope, hope that maybe together; we can make a better tomorrow. So I beg you right now, if you have any compassion in your hearts, then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well?" he paused. "What do you say?"

"EX-TERMINATE!" the green coloured light came from the daleks gun and hit Solomon right over his heart, Donna dropped to her knees beside him and closed his eyes.

"I'm so sorry but the Doctor tried to warn you" she whispered in his ear. She then got up and glared at the daleks "They killed him" Donna said disgusted. "They just killed him on the spot" by this point Frank was beside Solomon as well.

"Daleks" the Doctor snarled. "Alright then, so it's my turn. Then kill me. Kill me if it will stop you killing these people"

"NO!" Donna screamed. "What are you doing you bloody suicidal maniac!"

The Daleks aimed their weapons at the Doctor who closed his eyes.

"EX-TERMINATE!" nothing happened and he opened his eyes to see the daleks hovering in silence.

"What's going on?" he asked the daleks.

"You will follow" one of the daleks said.

"No you can't" Donna shrieked reaching out for the Doctor.

"I've got to, the daleks just change their minds, and daleks never change their minds"

"What about us?" Donna asked, gesturing at the people of Hooverville that surrounded them

"One condition" the Doctor said staring right up at the eye piece of the dalek. "If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here. Do you hear me?"

"Humans will be spared, the Doctor will follow"

"No!" Donna shouted grabbing a fistful of the Doctor's coat. "You bloody idiot! This could be a trap! Don't go!"

"Donna Noble, Donna Marie Noble. It was such a pleasure meeting you" the Doctor said pulling the woman into a hug and shoving something in her hand. "Make me proud"

"If you survive the daleks I will kill you for using my middle name" Donna hissed hugging him back tightly. She then pulled away and watched the Doctor leave, her hand tightening its grip on the psychic paper. She walked away slowly and sat down next to Tallulah, she held up the paper."The Doctor gave me this"

"What's that for?" Tallulah asked.

"It get's you into places, buildings and things, it shows people whatever you want them to see"

"But where?" Tallulah persisted.

"He wants me to go somewhere, but where, is the question" Donna groaned. "Bloody Space-Boy can't just spell it out can he" she thought for a moment. The daleks. "Wait a minute" she said. "Down in the sewers the Daleks mentioned this energy conductor"

"What does that mean?" Tallulah asked "do you mean like a lightning conductor or something"

"Dalekanium" Donna whispered remembering what the daleks were saying.

"Oh"

"They said the Dalekanium was in place" Donna elaborated.

"In place where?" Tallulah asked just as Frank sat down besides them.

"Frank?" Donna started.

"Hmm?"

"That Mr Diagoras, he was like some kind of fixer. Yeah?" she asked "Get you jobs all over town?"

"Yeah, he could find a profit anywhere" Frank said.

"But where through, what sort of things?" Donna asked.

"You name it, we're all so desperate for work, you'd just hope Diagoras would pick you something good. Building work, that pays the best"

"What sort of building work?"

"Mainly building that" Frank said pointing up to the Empire State Building.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The service elevator had finally reached the top floor, with a ding it opened and three walked out slowly.

"Look at this place" Tallulah said looking awed."Top of the world"

Donna spotted the building plans "These look like a good place to start looking for evil dalek cells" she muttered walking over to them. Frank followed silently. "Hey, look at the date" Donna said to him pointing at the date line on the plans. "These plans were issued today" she looked at the plans "They must have changed something last minute"

"You mean the Daleks changed something?" Frank asked worriedly.

Donna flipped the sheet over to look at the plan beneath it. "The plans underneath are from before. That means that whatever they changed must be on this top sheet but not on here, we need to check one against the other"

"The height of this place" Tallulah said in an awed voice as she leaned out of window. "It's amazing"

"Be careful, we're roughly a 100 floors up and I don't want to go jumping out any windows after you" Donna warned Tallulah.

"I just want to look" Tallulah protested.

Frank suddenly stood up. "I'll go and keep an eye out and make sure we're safe up here" he walked towards the lift. "Don't want nobody butting in"

Tallulah chose this moment to come back and said "There's a hell of a storm coming"

"I wish the Doctor was here" Donna said "He has a better eye for these things"

"So tell me, where did you two first hook up?" Tallulah asked Donna.

Donna wrinkled her nose in disgust."I told you before we're just mates, the idea of him and me wants to make me gag. We met in my front garden, I was about to go to work and he stumbled onto my lawn puking his breakfast over my shoes."

"Lovely" Tallulah said dryly.

"Yeah he got them replaced though. We travelled together, met a few people. He fell in love with a girl; I fell in love with a gorgeous hunk. Then it all went bad when the daleks came. Rose is trapped somewhere and Jack is dead. But us? We keep on going, hoping for Rose to come back and loving the memory of both Rose and Jack"

"I don't think I can do that. Try living, if Lazlo died" Tallulah said quietly.

"Tallulah" Donna said gently. "If the Doctor's with Lazlo right now, there's every chance that he can get him out of there"

"And then what?" Tallulah asked frustrated. "Don't talk crazy there's no future for me and him. Those daleks took that away. The only good thing I had in my life and they destroyed it."

"I know how it feels" Donna said as Tallulah stood up

"How can you?" she asked bitterly.

"I told you, I lost my lover and best friend to them, destroyed completely but I know that you won't lose Lazlo, because the Doctor won't let him die." Tallulah walked away without replying, but Donna knew that she was thinking over what she had said. Donna turned back to the plans and examined them carefully when... "Gotcha!" she said "Look!" she said to Frank and Tallulah, who both joined her and she pointed at the plans "There, on the mast, those little lines are new" she pointed at the lines "They've added something"

"Added what?" Tallulah asked.

The three of them looked at one another. "Dalekanium!" they chorused grins appeared on their faces simultaneously

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The moment the elevator door dinged Donna whirled round into a defensive position when the doors opened and the Doctor and Lazlo stumbled out, Donna relaxed."We've found it" she said "There's Dalekanium on the mast and it's good to see you alive by the way, try that again and I will throttle you"

The lift doors closed again and the Doctor ran over and tried to stop the elevator going back down. "Deadlock sealed" he said "I can't stop it"

"Great I take it we're doomed then?" Donna asked.

"Back down to the Daleks and they aren't gonna leave us alone up here, so yeah we're doomed." he turned to the others. "What's the time?" he asked.

"11:15" Frank said reading the clock nearby.

"6 minutes to go" the Doctor said. "I've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits"

"Gammon radiation?" Tallulah asked."What the heck is that?"

Donna showed the Doctor to the ladder that would lead him to the mast. "Oh that's high" the Doctor swallowed. "That's very...oh blimey that's high."

"You, the Doctor, Oncoming Storm, Destroyer of Worlds, blah, blah, blah, scared of a wee little ladder?" Donna asked smirking.

"Not afraid, exactly...just uncomfortable" the Doctor said squeaking at the last word.

"I don't believe you" Donna said crossing her arms. "And we've got to go higher" she moved to the ladder. "That's the mast up there. There's three pieces of Dalekanium on the base, we've got to get them off. So lose your irrational fear of heights and help us"

The Doctor stood at the foot of the ladder. "Ok, first I do not have an irrational fear of heights, two, that's me, not we" he paused "No, you'll have your hands full down anyway. I'm sorry Donna, but you'll have to fight" he started to climb the ladder.

But Donna grabbed hold of his wrist. "Be careful, yeah?" she whispered. "I don't want to have to clean alien guts off of the pavement"

"Oh aren't you the caring friend?" the Doctor muttered sarcastically before he pulled his wrist away. "I'll be careful. Promise"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna, Tallulah, Frank and Lazlo were watching nervously at the elevator as it slowly ascended. They quickly grabbed lumps of metal piping, or tools to use as weapons. "The lift's coming up" Donna said stating the obvious.

"I knew I should have brought that gun" Frank muttered darkly.

"Tallulah, stay back and you too Donna" Lazlo ordered. "If they send Pig Slaves they're trained to kill"

"The Doctor needs us to fight" Donna snapped. "We're not going anywhere."

She tried to step forwards but Lazlo pushed her back "They're savages, I should know." he said "They're trained to slit you throat with their bare teeth." Lazlo then suddenly fell to the side and Donna and Tallulah rushed to help him.

"One man down and we ain't even started yet" Frank moaned.

"We're gonna get slaughtered" Donna groaned. "This was not how I wanted to die, death by killer bacon." There was a thundering sound outside and the wind began to pick up."Wait a minute" Donna whispered turning to face the window. "Lightning" she laughed. "Frank help me make a rod, we're going to fry these little piggies!"

Donna and Frank were carrying poles and using the chairs to keep the long, wonky rod they were making while Tallulah was sitting with Lazlo watching them. "What the hell are you two clowns doing?" Tallulah asked

"Hey who are you calling a clown? The Doctor isn't here" Donna said before sighing. "Even if the Doctor stops the Dalekanium, This place is still gonna get hit." She explained. "Great big bolt of lightning, Electricity all down the building, Connect this to the lift, they get zapped"

"Oh my god, that could work" Tallulah said.

"Then give us a hand" Frank shouted.

Tallulah helped them finish their trap for the pigs when she was done she stood up and eyed it suspiciously."Is that gonna work?"

"It's got to" Donna said.

Frank came back in. "I got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside"

"Come here Frank" Donna as she grabbed his arm and pulled him down to sit with them "sit in the middle" "Don't touch anything metal" Donna warned them as the five of them huddled together for protection. "We don't need fried humans as well"

The elevator dinged just as the lighting hit, the doors opened seconds later and a herd of dead pigs fell to the floor.

"HA!" Donna shouted triumphantly. "Bacon for breakfast tomorrow!" Tallulah shot Donna a glare who looked apologetically back. "Sorry" she mumbled.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna climbed up the ladder in a steady pace, when she spotted the sonic screwdriver, she snatched it up and speeded her pace up, when she reached the mast she found the Doctor lying unconscious on the floor, and she crawled to him quickly. Shaking him.

"OI! Dumbo wake up!" She shouted. "Come on Space-Boy up and at them, I found your sonic screwdriver on my way up. What have you been doing?"

The Doctor groaned and slowly opened his eyes. "Oh, my head" he moaned.

"Serves you right, what idiot would go clinging to metal when lightning hits" Donna said hands on her hips.

"You survived then" the Doctor muttered.

"Yeah no thanks to you" Donna said. "Now then, I can't help noticing that there's still some Dalekanium attached to the mast. Care to explain?"

The Doctor sat up quickly.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They arrived at the theatre and the Doctor climbed up onto on of the chairs. "This should do it" he muttered as he pressed something on his sonic screwdriver and it started flashing.

"What are you doing?" Donna asked

"If the daleks are going to war" the Doctor said "they'll want to find their number one enemy, I'm just telling them where I am. Donna I want you to go back to Hooverville"

"Not in this life time Space-Boy" Donna snarled.

"I'm telling you to go" the Doctor snapped "Frank can take you back to Hooverville"

"And I'm telling you, I'm not going" Donna retorted

"Donna" the Doctor said exasperated. "The daleks are my worst enemy, they're brutal and bloodthirsty and every time I face them I lose someone or something I love. I don't want to lose you as well"

It was too late, there were banging sounds and the new human daleks entered the theatre from each side.

"Well, I guess that's them, huh?" Tallulah asked.

"Humans with dalek DNA?" Donna said.

"It's alright, it's alright" the Doctor said as Frank tried to move, he grabbed him by the arms "Don't antagonise them"

"But what of the dalek Masters?" Lazlo asked "Where are they?"

There was an explosion on the stage and everyone ducked for protection, Donna peered over the top of the chair to see out of the smoke from the explosion rolled two daleks with Sec crawling on the floor chained up to them.

"The Doctor will stand before the daleks"

The Doctor climbed up onto the top of the chair and walked on the tops to the stage.

"You will die Doctor. It's the beginning of a new age."

"Planet Earth will become new Skaro"

"Oh and what a world" the Doctor said sarcastically "With everything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt. That's Dalek Sec, don't you remember?" he asked "The cleverest dalek ever and look what you've done to him. Is that your new empire? Hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilisation?"

"My daleks," Sec said standing up to address the human daleks who were standing in the theatre aisles "Just understand this. If you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you"

"Incorrect" said one of the daleks "We always survive"

"Now we will destroy our greatest enemy the killer of our emperor" said the other

"But he can help you" Sec cried out.

"The Doctor must die"

"No I beg you, don't" Sec said

"EX-TERMINATE" The dalek shot at the Doctor but Sec got in the way and took the shot himself.

"NO!" the Doctor shouted "how could you? Your own leader! The only creature that might have led you out of the darkness and you killed him." he turned to the human daleks "did you see what they did? That could be you next" he turned back to the stage "If I'm gonna die, let's give the new boys a shot, what do you think, eh? Their first blood?" he asked "Go on baptise them!"

"NO!" Donna shrieked.

"Dalek humans take aim" the dalek humans around the theatre aimed their weapons at the Doctor.

"What are you waiting for? Give the command"

"EX-TERMINATE!" nothing happened, the command was repeated and still nothing happened "Obey, dalek humans will obey"

"They're not firing" Donna said, she looked at the Doctor. "What did you do?"

"You will obey" one dalek said "EX-TERMINATE"

"Why?" asked one of the dalek humans

The daleks on the stage, if they could that is would have been confused "Daleks do not question orders!"

"But why?"

"You will stop this" said the other dalek

"But why?"

"You must not question"

"But you are not our master" he said "And we...We are not daleks"

"No you're not" the Doctor agreed "And you never will be" he looked at the daleks on the stage "Sorry. I got in the way of the lightning strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up. And not just any Time Lord DNA but mine. Just that little bit of freedom" he said winking.

"If they will not obey then they must die" the dalek fired at the Time Lord Human Dalek hybrid and killed it, this started a fight. Everyone ducked. The hybrids managed to destroy the two daleks.

Suddenly the hybrids grabbed their heads in pain and started to convulse after a few minutes they all fell to the ground dead. "No!" the Doctor shouted. "They can't, they can't, and they just can't"

"What happened?" Donna asked.

"They killed them. They killed them rather than let them live. An entire species. Genocide" the Doctor said quietly.

"Only two of the daleks has been destroyed" Lazlo said "One of the Dalek Masters must still be alive"

"Oh yes" the Doctor said quietly "In the whole universe, just one. Donna go with Frank to Hooverville to explain what happened"

"Where are you going?" Donna asked already knowing the answer and not liking it.

"I'm going to find that dalek" the Doctor said simply.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Dalek Caan escaped. The last remaining dalek was somewhere out there, plotting away and one day Donna will see him again. She just hoped when she does it won't end the universe. The Doctor managed to save Lazlo who was now living in Hooverville with Frank and Tallulah. The moment they entered the TARDIS Donna pulled out the contract.

"Hem, hem" she coughed.

The Doctor glanced at her and groaned. "Please not the contract, please!"

"I'm sorry Doctor but you are the one who violated it. Took me to the wrong time, dragged me into a mystery, went suicidal at least three times. Now let's see what you owe me..." Donna said smirking as she flipped through the contract.

"NO!" the Doctor shouted. "I...I...I'll take you home! You can go shopping in London, visit your Granddad, have family dinner, the whole domestic shin bang. Just please don't in force every single punishment in that contract"

Donna smiled and put the contract down. "Fair enough" she said. "But first I want to get changed, my clothes stink of pig"


	22. Lazarus Experiment

Donna Noble opened the TARDIS door and automatically walked into the shed door. Rubbing her nose and glaring at the door she called over her shoulder. "OI! Dumbo, you parked in a bleeding shed!"

The Doctor leaned out of the TARDIS. "Did I?" he looked round. "I did, blimey its pokey in here."

"Well you better not be getting fresh with me!" Donna warned rolling her eyes. "I don't know, this regeneration is such a man-"

"Why thank you" the Doctor said smugly.

"Only thinks with his dick" Donna finished as if the Doctor didn't speak.

"I do not!" the Doctor shouted, mortified, cheeks flaming red.

"Humour me" Donna said dryly.

Before the Doctor could even open his mouth the shed door opened. "Ah I thought I heard voices" Donna turned to see her grandfather grinning at her. "Hello sweetheart, you haven't been gone that long"

"How long?" Donna asked.

"A day" Wilf shrugged.

"Been weeks for me" Donna said throwing her arms round Wilf. "Been to loads of places, you would have loved it Granddad"

"I'm sure you'll tell me" Wilf said patting Donna's back. "What were you two doing in the shed? Better not be getting up to any hanky panky"

Donna pulled away with a horrified look on her face, the matching one on the Doctor's face caused Wilf to throw his head back in laughter.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"I don't know" Sylvia said pouring out the hot water into separate mugs. "first you vanish for a year, then you come back claiming you got a top secret job, then you disappear for months, then come back with depression, then you get better, move on, about to be married when you suddenly disappear again! Then I hear Lance is missing, presumed dead. You're gone for a good few months and when you come back you're in hospital with an unknown disease – a hospital that vanishes – when you're released you go out on a bender. Honestly Donna I don't know what to do with you!"

Listening to Sylvia brought back memories of Jackie Tyler to the Doctor; he was beginning to wonder if it's possible Sylvia and Jackie were twins. It would explain a lot.

"And you! Doctor no name; you should be taking better care of her. Honestly Donna out of all the men you could have dated someone who doesn't even take care of you properly-"

"Mum that's disgusting!" Donna shrieked. "Me and him aren't like that, we're like siblings"

"Oh don't be ridiculous Donna, I can see a love affair from a mile away" Sylvia said.

"Are you sure you don't need your eyes testing?" the Doctor and Donna muttered darkly under their breaths at the same time, causing Sylvia to pause.

"Or maybe he is a long lost son I never seen, heard or knew" Sylvia grumbled. "Well since you're both here then you can keep me and your grandfather company for this party"

"Party? What party? Should I bring my banana?" the Doctor said perking up.

The disgusted looks on both Sylvia's and Donna's faces automatically made him duck as both women tried to slap him.

Humans, he decided, have their minds permanently in the gutter.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The party that Sylvia wanted them to go to was a formal demonstration of Richard Lazarus's secret invention. Sylvia had done all the legal work and was automatically put on the list with her family for the show. The Doctor was eager to go when he saw the news report on it and Lazarus said "will change what it means to be human", Donna just wanted a new dress.

Donna was now dressed in a navy blue sleeveless dress with her red hair clipped back, the Doctor was wearing a suit that made him look like a 'skinny and boyish version of James Bond' Donna's words not his. As they entered Sylvia started a lecture of their behaviour, causing them to sneak off.

"...and whatever you two do, don't. Wander. Off" Sylvia finished turning round to see only her father standing there.

"Too late for that love, they've been gone for five minutes" Wilf said grinning.

"Damn it!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Ooh champagne, very glamorous" Donna said taking a glass from the waiter's tray and sipping it.

"Donna?"

Donna turned to see Martha Jones wearing a black dress similar to the one Donna was wearing. "Hello Martha, long time, no see, how are you? Passed your exams yet?" Donna said quickly.

"It's only been one day" Martha said.

"Really? Oh yes Mum mentioned that, I forgot. It's been weeks for me" Donna said shrugging. "So how are you?"

"Ok, not pleased with being dumped" Martha muttered.

"We didn't dump you Martha, you knew it was one trip and one trip only" Donna said warningly.

"I know" Martha mumbled. "I just kind of hoped..."

"Well look at that, it's Martha Jones" a younger, prettier black girl drawled.

Tish" Martha said, seemingly overjoyed to see her younger sister. The two of them hugged. "You look great" Tish said. "So, what do you think?" she asked her sister "Impressive isn't it?"

"Very" said Martha, as she looked around the room.

"And two nights out in a row for you." she teased "That's dangerously close to a social life"

"If I keep this up, I might end up in all the gossip columns"

"You might, actually." said Tish "You should keep an eye out for photographers. And mum, she's coming too; she's even dragging Leo along with her"

"Leo?" asked Martha "Leo in black tie? That I must see"

"Still here you know" Donna butted in, annoyed that she was left out.

"Who's this?" Tish asked pointing at Donna.

"A friend of mine, Donna Noble"

"Hello!" Donna said in a false cheerful voice while shaking Tish's hand who looked down at Donna with distaste. "So this Lazarus is your boss as well then? My Mum worked for him, all the legal stuff. Is how I got in"

Professor Lazarus, yes. I'm part of his executive staff"

"She's in the PR department" Martha said

"I'm head of the PR department, actually" said Tish

"You're joking" Martha said

"I put this whole thing together" Tish admitted

"So what's that?" the Doctor said appearing out of thin air and giving all the girls a near heart attack while pointing at the machinery "looks a bit like a sonic micro-field manipulator"

"Give us a heart attack why don't you?" Donna said sarcastically. "Come on then Space-Boy, lets have a closer look before you wet yourself with excitement"

The Doctor glared at Donna as she dragged him away from the Jones sisters.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I am going to perform a miracle" he said "It is I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight you will watch and wonder, but tomorrow, you will wake to a world which will be changed forever"

He turned away and opened the door of his device and stepped inside. Once he was inside he shut the door and the scientists that were on stand by began to start the device. It began to spin around and there was a blue light, which made everyone in the room turn away.

Suddenly an alarm sounded.

"Something's wrong" the Doctor muttered stating the obvious. "It's overloading" he ran to the controls and jumped over the table that they were on and took out the sonic screwdriver and began to stop the machine with it

"Somebody stop him" an old woman shouted "Get him away from those controls"

"If that goes up, it'll take the whole building up with it, is that what you want?" Donna snapped.

"Donna, don't be rude!" Sylvia hissed.

The woman never said anything else, she just allowed the Doctor to continue while glaring at Donna, the Doctor jumped back over the table and pulled out the power cable from the back of the controls and the machine began to slow down and then finally it stopped.

Donna ran to the doors and flung them open, smoke came pouring out and coughing could be heard. A hand suddenly came out from the smoke and grabbed hold of the door frame. Slowly a young blonde man stepped out of the machine.

"Ladies and gentlemen. I am Richard Lazarus. I am 76 years old and I am reborn"

Everyone clapped and cheered while the Doctor started in silence. Something was not right about this.

"Flipping heck" Donna murmured, awed.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Neither Donna or Martha (who joined them shortly afterwards) liked Lazarus; there was something creepy about him. Also the Doctor kept having the nagging feeling that he was wrong. The man had both kissed both women on the hand and the Doctor snuck the pair into the laboratory to have a little peek at the man's DNA.

"Lazarus' DNA"

"I can't see anything different" Martha said crossing her arms.

"Have to agree with her Space-Boy" Donna said mimicking Martha's body language.

"Look at it" the Doctor said waving at the screen. Donna and Martha looked at the screen and watched at the DNA changed, or rather fluctuated

"Oh, my God" Martha exclaimed "Did that just change?" she asked the Doctor. He nodded "But it can't have"

"But it did" Donna said rolling her eyes.

"It's impossible" Martha argued "That means that Lazarus changed his own molecular patterns"

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilise the cell structure" the Doctor said as if he was reciting a book. "Then a mutagenic program to manipulate the coding in the protein strands. Basically, he hacked into his genes and instructed them to rejuvenate"

"But they're still mutating now" Martha said.

"Because he missed something" the Doctor said "Something in his DNA has been activated and it won't let him stabilise. Something that's trying to change him"

"Change him into what?" Donna asked.

"I don't know" The Doctor said."But I think that we need to find out"

"That woman said they were going upstairs" Martha said.

"Let's go then" the Doctor said running off, dragging Donna behind him, while Martha was left to trail after them like a lost puppy.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"This is his office alright" Donna said as she entered first

"So where is he?" Martha asked.

"How the hell shout I know?" Donna snapped.

"Let's try back at the... reception." The Doctor suggested.

A look of pure shock appeared on Martha's face; Donna and the Doctor followed her eyes to the table. They could see a leg sticking out from behind it and the two of them walked towards it. When they reached it Donna thought that she would be sick, the skin had shrivelled up. The woman looked like she expected a mummy that had been dead for thousands of years to look like. The Doctor, Donna and Martha crouched beside the body

"Is that Lady Thaw?" Martha asked.

"Used to be" the Doctor said sadly "It's just a shell, she had all the life-energy drained out of her. Like squeezing the juice out of an orange"

"Lazarus!" Donna said

"Could be" the Doctor agreed

"So he's changed already?" Martha asked

"Not necessary. You saw the DNA. It was fluctuating. The process must demand energy" the Doctor paused and looked down at the remains of Lady Thaw. "This might not have been enough"

"So he might do this again?" Martha asked

The three looked at each other and both clicked on the same thought, that maybe, just maybe, that the people downstairs would be enough. They got up and ran to the lift, using the sonic screwdriver to get there quicker

"I can't see him" Martha said as she scanned the room, the moment she got in.

"Keep looking" the Doctor said "He can't be far"

They wandered round the room but was stopped by Wilf who was standing by Lazarus' machine "You alright, darling?" he asked Donna stopped and turned towards him as he continued "I think that your Mum wants to talk to you"

"Have you seen Lazarus anywhere?"

"He was getting pretty cosy with a young girl a couple of minutes ago, Tish I think her name was" Wilf said scratching his head.

"With Tish?" Martha asked.

Donna's mother appeared beside her "Ah, Doctor" she said as she stopped

"Where did they go?" the Doctor asked Wilf with urgency in his voice. Donna's mother looked furious with the Doctor's insolence.

"Upstairs, I think" Wilf answered "Why?"

The Doctor pushed past Donna's mother and accidentally spilled her drink all over her, Martha and Donna hot on his heels.

"Doctor, Donna... I want a word with you two" Sylvia bellowed after them.

Donna turned to her mother "Not now, Mum" before she jumped into the lift with the Doctor and Martha.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Where are they?" Martha asked as she stepped out of the lift.

The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and fiddled with it "The fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature" he said "I might be able to pick it up." he slowly moved the sonic screwdriver round the room, he then moved it up towards the ceiling "Got him"

"Where?" Martha asked desperately.

"But this is the top floor" the Doctor said "The roof"

The three of them ran up the flight of stairs separating them from Martha's sister and Professor Lazarus.

Tish and Professor Lazarus were standing on the roof staring out at the London sky line. "That clock tower is beautiful, all lit up like that" Tish said

"It's Southwark Cathedral" said Lazarus "One of the oldest churches in London. It's been around even longer than I have"

"But you're looking pretty good for your age"

"Thank you"

"Can I?" Tish asked reaching out her hand as though to touch his face

"Of course" said Lazarus. Tish touched his cheek with the back of her right hand

"I still can't take it in" she said

"I'm still adjusting myself" he replied "I've been working towards it for so many years; it's hard to believe that the moment has finally arrived"

"And is it like you expected?" Tish had to asked

"I find nothing is exactly like you expect" he admitted "There's always something to surprise you. 'Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act..."

"Fall the shadow" the Doctor finished.

Lazarus turned around to see the Doctor standing in front of him "So, the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed"

"Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish asked.

"Tish, get away from him" Martha said.

"What, don't tell me what to do" Tish said childishly.

"Oh for Pete sake" Donna muttered.

"I wouldn't have thought that you'd have time for poetry Lazarus. What with you being so busy defying the laws of nature and everything" the Doctor said smiling.

"You're right Doctor. One life time's been to short to do everything that I'd like. How much more I'd get done in two or three or four"

"It doesn't work like that" Donna said "Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the time that matters, it's the person"

"That was good" the Doctor muttered admiringly.

"Thanks" Donna muttered back.

"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be" Lazarus said.

"Or what a curse" the Doctor said quietly."Look at what you've done to yourself"

"Who are you to judge me?" Lazarus demanded.

"Over here Tish" Martha said holding her hand out to Tish.

"You have to spoil everything don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to find fault" Tosh whinged as she walked up to Martha, behind her Lazarus began mutating again

"Tish he's a monster" Donna said.

Tish turned to Donna "I know the age thing's a bit creepy, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones" the Doctor, Donna and Martha stared at the figure of Professor Lazarus, he was writhing on the ground in pain. He changed before their eyes into a scorpion like creature.

"No I mean he really is a monster" Donna said.

"What is that?" Tish asked as Martha Donna and the Doctor began to walk backwards away from the monster. She turned and saw Lazarus and screamed.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted.

The three of them ran back inside, the Doctor locking the door with the sonic screwdriver. "You're all right?" he asked Tish.

"I was going to snog him" Tish said

"Trust me Tish I've snogged worse" Donna said.

"Too right you have" the Doctor muttered causing Donna to slap him. "OW!"

Suddenly there was a loud banging sound and the three of them looked up at the ceiling, knowing that Lazarus was trying to force his way back into the building. Then the building went dark.

"What's happening?" the Doctor asked turning to look at Tish

"Its an intrusion." she said "It triggers a security lock down. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts, seals the doors off"

The Doctor looked back at the ceiling "he's going to barge in. run down the stairs, NOW!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

After a very long winded game of cat and mouse where the Doctor and Donna played the part of the mouse for Lazarus while Martha was trying to override the security to get the guests out. And almost being turned into something like Lazarus when the three of them got locked in his machine, the two women were very grateful that he was dead. The pair were now sitting on the stairs outside nursing their sore feet. While the Doctor was leaning against a pillar.

"I want to have a very long soak in the nearest foot bath" Donna groaned.

"I'm not going near your smelly feet" the Doctor said scrunching his nose up in disgust.

"OI! You can talk; your socks smell worse than a bleeding Slitheen!" Donna retorted.

Suddenly Sylvia came marching up to the three of them, the Doctor smiled up at her "oh hello Mrs Noble, don't mind us we're just resting out feet" suddenly Sylvia reached out and slapped the Doctor.

"You stay away from my daughter!"

"Blimey always the Nobles" the Doctor muttered cupping his cheek.

"It's my choice who my friends are Mum" Donna said glaring up at her mother.

"He's dangerous Donna! I've been told things and look around you death and destruction. Not the sort of man you should be spending your time with!"

"That wasn't his fault! He saved us Mum!"

The two of them started to bicker, suddenly a loud crashing sound stopped them and everyone turned to look down the street. The Doctor began to run down, Donna following him.

"Donna get back here!" Sylvia bellowed. Martha paused for a moment before running off after the strange pair she knew. "

"Martha Jones get back here young lady!" Francine screeched.

The three found the ambulance knocked on to it's side and the paramedics dried up like the many other victims. "Lazarus rose from the dead, what a surprise" Donna muttered.

"Where is he though?" the Doctor murmured pulling his sonic screwdriver out.

"You could always try Southwark Cathedral" Martha said "Tish says that he kept talking about it earlier"

"Southwark Cathedral it is then" the Doctor said

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They found Lazarus huddled on the floor under a blanket, shivering. He turned to face them and Martha and Donna backed away slowly. "I came here almost a lifetime ago" he said "when I was a child. The sounds of planes and bombs outside"

"The Blitz" the Doctor said.

"You read about it?"

"I was there"

"You're too young to be there" Lazarus said.

"So are you" the Doctor pointed out.

"In the morning, the fires had died, but I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again, so defenceless. I would arm myself. Fight back." he said "Defeat it."

"That's what you were trying to do today?"

"That's what I did today."

"What about the other people who died?"

"They were nothing." said Lazarus, without any hint of guilt in his voice. "I changed history."

"Any one of them might have done, too." The Doctor said walking round so he was now in front of Lazarus "You think history's only made with equations?" he asked "Facing death is part of being human, you can't change that."

"No, Doctor." argued Lazarus "Avoiding death, that's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fibre of being. I'm only doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more successful." he groaned in pain.

"Look at yourself." Donna shouted "You're mutating. You've got no control over it. You call that a success?"

"I call it progress." he groaned again "I'm more now than I was. More than just an ordinary human."

"There's no such thing as an ordinary human." The Doctor said "I should know, I've seen so many spectacular humans"

Martha stepped to the Doctor's side "he's going to change any minute"

"I know, but I reckon if you can get him on the top of the bell tower I could use the organ to change him"

"You're so sentimental Doctor; maybe you're older than you look"

"I'm old enough to know that you end up watching your loved ones wither and die. It's not worth it, in the end you just get tired."

Lazarus laughed "I will feed soon and you might be my next meal Doctor"

"Leave her alone Lazarus" Donna shouted after Martha whispered the Doctor's plans to her. "He's sour and bitter. You would want someone sweet and tender"

"Very well you will do"

"RUN!" Donna shrieked grabbing hold of Martha and running up the stairs as Lazarus changed and began to go after them.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna had been moments from falling to her death while Lazarus tried to kill Martha, she clung tightly to the stone while screaming obscenities at the Doctor, Martha, Lazarus, god, any one really. When Martha helped her up, she hugged the woman tightly before running down the stairs and slapping the Doctor.

"OW!" the Doctor cried out. "What was that for?"

"The organ? THE ORGAN?!" Donna shrieked. "I was very close to falling to my death or being drained to a prune while you play the flipping organ?! And badly as well!"

"I'm not that bad!"

"Yes you are!"

"No I am not!"

"Are!"

"Not!"

The pair continued to bicker as they exited the church and made their way to the TARDIS...leaving a very confused and disappointed Martha Jones in the church.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Sylvia bit her lip as she eyed her phone. She was expecting the phone call, the phone call that will never come. The one from her daughter with the made up excuse of why she's gone.

It's not coming and she knows that her father is hiding something as well.

The Doctor is dangerous, Saxon had told her, well technically Saxon's lackey but it was still the same. Donna is going to get hurt or die or something just as terrible.

The phone rings, she answers, it isn't Donna, just a friend.

When she hangs up Sylvia pulls out the business card and sighs. It looks like she's going to have to work for Saxon, if Donna is in danger then she needs all the protection she can get.


	23. 42

"Please"

"No"

"Pretty please"

"No"

"Pretty please with bananas on top?"

"No"

"Oh come on you like bananas"

"For the last time Donna no!" the Doctor shouted, getting frustrated as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I refuse to be subjected to icky sun cream, wearing less clothes, sunburn, gritty ,sandy beaches and annoying people who spend most of their time screaming, sunbathing and complaining, loudly"

"Why do I get the impression you're talking about me?" Donna said narrowing her eyes, causing the Doctor to gulp. "Oh come on please. This is the one thing I didn't put in the contract, the one thing I want to do"

"It's the one thing that I refuse to do and since it's not in the contract I take great joy in not doing it" the Doctor said stubbornly crossing his arms.

"Jesus you need to lighten up Doctor" Donna sighed exasperated. "Let your hair down, wear hideous day-glow shorts with bananas on and relax."

Before the Doctor could reply the TARDIS shook violently sending the pair to the floor. A beeping, buzzing noise came from the console and the Doctor grabbed hold of the monitor. "Distress signal" he said. "Locking in, hold on" he pulled down a lever sending the two of them back onto the floor.

"Ouch" Donna whined rubbing her back as she stood up.

"Sorry about that, turbulence" the Doctor said smiling apologetically as he helped her up.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The two of them stepped outside to find themselves in a dark, hot room. A very hot room.

"Blimey it's like a sauna" Donna said practically ripping her jacket off before tying it round her waist.

The Doctor pulled open the door and sighed "it's a bit cooler out here" he called back. The two of them stepped out breathed in the slightly cooler air.

"Oi you two!"

The Doctor and Donna turned round to see three people; a woman and two men running down the corridor towards them.

"Get out of there!" the woman called urgently, leaping over a doorway.

"Seal the door, now!" one of the men ordered, as both men dashed past them. One of them slammed the door shut and the pair sighed.

"Who are you?" the woman asked panting, trying to catch her breath. "What are you doing on my ship?"

"Are you police?" the younger of the two men asked.

"Why would we be police?" Donna asked.

"There was a distress signal--" the Doctor started to explain.

"If this is a ship, why can't we hear any engines?" Donna interrupted.

The woman, hands on hips, looked away a moment. "It went dead 4 minutes ago."

"So maybe we should stop chatting and get to engineering," the older man said. "Captain," he raised his eyebrows at the woman.

An alarm started to whine.

"_Secure Closure. Active,"_ a recorded voice rang out around them.

"What?" the woman, the Captain of the ship, sounded exasperated.

"The ship's gone mad," the younger man threw his hands up.

"Who activated secure closure?" a voice cried from down the corridor.

Another woman was running toward them. She jumped through one of the doors as it slammed shut.

"I nearly got locked into area twenty-seven," she gave the others a slightly accusing look. She was young and wore mechanics overalls. She turned to see the Doctor and Donna "who are you two?" she asked.

"I'm the Doctor and this is Donna" the Doctor said giving them a mocking wave. "want to tell me what's happening?"

"_Impact projection,"_ the recorded voice called, _"Forty two minutes, twenty-seven seconds."_

"Forty two minutes till what?" Donna asked.

"Till we crash into the sun of course!" the Captain snapped waving her hands into the air.

"You got to be kidding me" Donna muttered.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"How many are there on this ship?" the Doctor asked.

"Seven, all crew members" the Captain said.

"My ship is just through there" the Doctor said pointing to the door behind him. "I'll get you all out to safety" he turned round and released the seal of the door ignoring the crew's panicked cries only to have a face full of steam and stumble back. The older man reached out and slammed the door shut. "My ships in there!"

"You parked your ship in the ventilation" the younger guy said raising an eyebrow in disbelieve.

"It's our lifeboat" the Doctor said ignoring him.

"It's lava" the older guy muttered.

"The temperature is rising" the mechanic looking girl said reading the dial. "Three thousand and rising. The closer we get to the sun the higher it'll get"

"So if we fix the engines everything will be fine?" the Doctor asked. "Well show me the way"

"You're a mechanic?" the mechanic girl asked.

"Well no but I learnt some things when my ship needed to be fixed. All self learnt" the Doctor admitted.

"We're doomed" the younger guy muttered to the older man.

"Too right we are" Donna agreed.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor eyed up the controls with a frown. "you're using an energy scoop? Aren't they supposed to be outlawed or something?"

"Yes well we haven't had the chance to dock and upgrade" the Captain said hurriedly "Scannell report!"

The older guy now identified as Scannell looked up from the controls "no response, everything is burnt out. I can't get them back online"

"Oh come on! Auxiliary engines! Everyone has those" the Doctor said running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"We don't have access to them from here" the Captain said. "auxiliary control is on the front of the ship"

"And twenty-nine password sealed doors between us an' them," Scannell added. "You'd never get there on time."

"Can we override them?" the Doctor asked.

"Can't they're deadlocked sealed" the Captain said.

"Damn! The sonic screwdriver is no use then" Donna muttered.

"We're dead!" Scannell groaned "no engines, no time and no chance of surviving"

"Oh come on where's your spirit!" the Doctor protested. "Look who has these passwords?"

"They're randomly generated" the younger guy said. "reckon I know most of them though. Sorry I'm Riley Vashti"

Riley moved to a wall, started taking down some equipment. "It's a two person job. One to take this for the questions," he strung a backpack over his shoulders. "The other, to carry this," he took down a weighty-looking clamp. "The oldest and cheapest security system around, hey Captain?" he winked.

"Reliant and simple, just like you eh Riley?" the Captain nodded.

"Try to be helpful, get abuse," he adjusted the straps on his shoulders. "Nice."

"I'll help," Donna stepped forward, grabbing the clamp. It was heavy, but not impossible.

Riley nodded to her and dashed for the door. Donna followed, clamp in both hands.

"Donna" the Doctor called. Donna turned to face him. "Be careful" the Doctor said quietly.

"You too" Donna replied before running off after Riley.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"All right," he muttered quietly, and then stepped away from the laptop like object, pointing at the clamp. "Press the clamp on the door!"

Donna did as she was told, pressing the clamp to the door. "What are you doing?"

Riley called over his shoulder as he went back to typing, tapping the screen occasionally as well. "Each door's trip code's the answer to a random question set by the crew," he grinned. "Nine turns back, we got drunk, thought them up, Reckoning was, if we're hijacked, we're the only ones who know all the answers."

"So you type in the right answer from there?" she prompted.

"This," he indicated the computer, "sends an unlock pulse to the clamp," he typed ferociously again, his eyes scanning the screen. "But we only get one chance per door," he turned a dial on the side of the box. "Get it wrong, the whole system freezes."

"Better not get it wrong then," Donna muttered.

"Okay," with triumph, Riley put his hands either side of the screen, and then read; 'Date of S.S. Pentallian's first flight?' That's all right," he typed the answer confidently.

Donna looked down at the clamp as there was a beeping noise, and the lights at the top of the clamp turned from red to green.

"Go!" Riley grabbed the laptop in his arms, pulling out the cables.

With a final longer beep, and a hiss of a seal breaking, the door opened.

"Yes!" Donna grinned, taking the weight of the clamp in her arms again.

Riley dashed past her. "Twenty eight more to go!"

Donna ran after him. Riley had the laptop already up on the platform and plugged in by the time Martha set the clamp in place.

The Doctor's voice came over the intercom. _"Donna, Riley, how you doing?"_

"Area twenty nine at the door to twenty eight," Donna called out, weighing the clamp against her legs as she held the handle and waited.

"_You've got to move faster!"_

"We're going as fast as we can," Donna called back gritting her teeth, she would like to see the Doctor try and do this.

Riley was reading from the screen again. "'Find the next number in the sequence. Three-one-three, three-three-one, three-six-seven.' What?" he gave Donna a panicked look.

Donna knew this would happen – they _had_ put the system in place when they were drinking. "You plonker! What happened to the crew knew all the answers?" she hissed.

"The crew's changed since we set the questions," Riley shrugged helplessly.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Donna rested her head against the door and groaned. What were they going to do?

"_Three-seven-nine,"_ the Doctor's voice sounded out over the intercom again.

"What?" Donna asked.

"_It's a sequence of happy primes. Three-seven-nine,"_ he repeated.

"Happy what?" Donna said looking confused. "Be clear Space-Boy!"

"_Just enter it!"_

"Are you sure," Riley insisted. "We only get one chance."

"_Any number that reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits, you continually trace it till it yields one is a happy number, any number that doesn't isn't, a happy prime is a number that's both happy and prime, now type it in!" _

Riley startled a little, did as he was told. The beeping sound came and the light flashed green. Donna exhaled slowly.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Hello?"

"Granddad! It's me, I need your help" Donna spoke quickly into her phone.

"Donna? Where are you, all right?" Wilf asked concerned.

"Actually," Donna looked around the chamber. "Bit busy, need to know who had more number ones, the Beatles or Elvis?"

"What--?" Wilf half laughed down the line. "Donna are you doing some sort of intergalactic pub quiz?"

"Erm..." telling the truth to her Granddad was most likely to give the poor man a heart attack. The idea of Donna in a potential death by sun situation was not one Donna wished to put in his head.

Wilf chuckled. "That's cheating love but then again if it means you beat them aliens then I'm up for it. The answer is Elvis love"

"_Impact in twenty-eight, fifty,"_ rang out in the chamber, then another voice, low, growling, almost straight after it.

"_Burn with me."_

"Are you sure Granddad?"

"Love I was there. Big fan of them both, of course I'm sure"

"Elvis" Donna whispered to Riley

"_Burn with me." _

Riley typed the entry into the laptop, and with another welcome 'bleep-bleep-bleep', they were through the door.

Donna hurried toward the next door. " Thank you! You just saved my life" she cried into the phone.

"Hey, no worries, are you going to tell me what it's really for—"

Wilf's question was cut off by a long, drawn out, painful scream, echoing over the intercom.

"What was that?" Wilf asked quickly. "Donna love are you in trouble? Is that Doctor not looking after you?"

"…I've gotta go," Donna ended the call, looking with horror down the corridor. "Doctor!" she called into the intercom. "What was that?"

"_Concentrate on those doors, you gotta keep moving forward!"_

Donna tried to forget the screaming, locking the clamp onto the next door. Riley typed away furiously beside her.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

A man materialised out of the steam, and stood in the doorway, wearing a red helmet.

"Is that Korwin?" Donna asked Riley quietly.

"Oh, Ashton," Riley sounded relieved as the man stepped into the room. "What are you doing?"

The red-helmeted Ashton stopped just inside area seventeen.

"Burn with me."

"If you wanna help-" Riley held his hand out, nodding back to the laptop.

"Burn with me! Burn with me!" Ashton grated, as though not hearing Riley at all. He put his hand to a knob by the black visor on the helmet.

"Move!" Donna jumped into action, hitting a panel on a door at the side of the chamber. "C'mon!" she dove through. Riley hurried after her, dashed to the back of the room, and hit another panel. The red door slid shut after them.

Donna watched the doorway, wondering if he'd just go away since he couldn't get to them. A red-helmeted person stepped up to fill the small, circular window in the door. He knocked on the door.

Riley snapped into action, pressing a pin into a keypad, opening another door at the back of the smaller room.

A hatchway opened. Donna lifted her leg up and climbed through. Riley was right after her, then closed the hatch.

A second door slid over the hatch, a thick sort of glass.

"What is happening on this ship?" Riley leaned back in the tiny chamber they'd entered, hand on his head.

"Where are we?" Donna asked him quickly. There were no exits, just a couple of benches, a few keypad panels, and very little room to move.

"_Airlock sealed, jettison escape pod,"_ the ships computer announced.

"Oh shit" Donna muttered.

He jumped forward, crawling to the control panel, Riley was furiously punching codes into a keypad. Donna turned back to the small window in the pod. The red-helmeted Ashton was still standing there. "Doctor!" she called.

"_Jettison initiated."_

It wasn't long until Riley startled back from the controls, panic in his eyes as he announced that Ashton had crashed the circuits.

"_Airlock sealed."_

Donna ran her hands around the hatchway desperately looking for a way out.

"_Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning pod."_

Donna smacked her hands on the glass helplessly. The red helmet was no longer at the window on the other side of the ship door. Before she could wonder at this, the Doctor's face appeared at the window.

"Doctor!" Donna called, banging on the hatch. Donna saw his mouth move, but she couldn't hear him.

"Donna. It's too late," Riley leaned back behind her.

"Doctor!" she called again. The Doctor called something again, he looked like he was shouting. "I can't hear you," Donna cried, pressing her nose and palms against the glass. He stayed at the window, staring at Donna, his mouth still moving in words she couldn't make out, as the airlock closed over the gap in the ship. "I'm sorry," she whispered back at him.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Oh, the wonderful world of space travel," Riley sighed looking out of the window. "Prettier it looks, the more likely it is to kill you;"

"I know the irony of it all" Donna muttered. "He'll come for us, the Doctor. I know he will" she said louder.

Riley shook his head. "It's too late," he said gently. "The heat shield will pack in any minute, then we go into free fall. We'll fall into the sun way before he has a chance to do anything."

"You don't know him" Donna said calmly. "I believe in him. He'll do anything to keep me safe, the brother I never had he is"

"Then you're lucky," Riley shrugged. "I've never found anyone worth believing in."

Then something bleeped in the pod, and they were thrown backward. Donna sat up and peered out the window a laugh escaping her. "We're being pulled back!" she shouted. "I told you!" she laughed. "He did it!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna tackled the Doctor into a rib crushing hug. "I knew you could do it Space-Boy!" she trilled. "I told Clamp-Boy other there you will. He didn't believe me but that show-" the Doctor pushed her away, stumbling to the floor with a groan. "Doctor?"

"Stay away!" the Doctor cried out, holding a hand out to ward Donna off. Sweat was running down his face quickly, it almost looked like he was crying.

"Doctor what is it? What's wrong?" Donna asked getting panicked.

"What's happened?"

Donna turned to see the Captain beside Riley.

"It's your fault, Kath McDonnell," the Doctor growled in a low voice.

"Riley. Get down to area ten and help Scannell with the doors. Go!"

Donna tried to hold the Doctor who was thrashing and screaming, his eyes screwed up close. Donna never felt so useless in her life.

"You mined that sun," the Doctor screamed. "Scooped its surface for cheap fuel," he was breathing very quickly. "You should have scanned for life!"

"I don't understand," McDonnell said hurriedly.

"What do you mean?" Donna asked him.

The Doctor was withering and shuddering. "The sun is alive!" he shrieked. His eyes opened to reveal two golden ores.

"You know I told him to lighten up but this was not what I meant" Donna muttered to McDonnell.

"And they scooped it's heart out" the Doctor carried on shutting his eyes, Donna looked at Captain McDonnell with disgust. "Used it for fuel and now it's screaming!"

"What do you mean, how can a sun be alive, why's he saying that?" McDonnell pleaded.

"Because it's living in me," the Doctor sobbed.

"Oh my god," Donna tried to help the Doctor who pushed her away.

"Humans!" he screamed. "You rob whatever's nearest and bleed it dry! I'm ashamed of being around you" he arched back, his head banging against the wall. Donna shuddered while trying to lift the Doctor's head back. "You should have scanned!"

"It takes too long, we'd be caught," the Captain explained weakly. "Fusion scoops are illegal."

The Doctor leaned back and groaned. "Donna, you've got to freeze me - quickly."

"What?" she shook her head, placing a hand on the Doctor's head, pushing his hair that was sticking to his sweating forehead back with her thumb.

"Stasis chamber," the Doctor murmured.

"No way, no way am I turning you into Ice-Boy" Donna said shaking her head.

"Please Donna." The Doctor begged. "Gotta keep it below minus two hundred," the Doctor continued panting a bit. "Freeze it out of me!" he cried, lurching forward.

Donna grabbed a hold of the Doctor, trying to make him stand.

"It'll use me to kill you if you don't," the Doctor managed, a hand on the wall as Donna pulled him to his feet. "The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it –!" he stopped, screaming again. "Med centre! Quickly! Quickly!"

"Help me!" Donna called to the mortified Captain.

The Captain nodded, shaking herself and grabbing the Doctor's other arm. They hurried to the med centre.

"_Impact in seven, thirty." _

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor was whimpering as he was laid down in the stasis chamber, Donna was beginning to tap in the code that McDonnell gave to her when the Doctor called out "Donna, Donna where are you?"

"I'm here sweetheart" Donna said softly, reaching out to hold one of the Doctor's sweaty hands.

"Remember, ten seconds minus two hundred" the Doctor gasped out before letting go of Donna's hand "I'm scared Donna, I'm going to die"

"No you're not, you know full well that I would kill you if you do" Donna said in a soothing voice.

"Then I'll regenerate and I'll no longer look the same"

"Doctor you got to believe in me, like I believe in you"

"Rose believed in me once and look where that got her" the Doctor whispered before screaming "it's burning me up! I can't control it! If you don't get rid of it I could kill you, kill you all! Please Donna do it now!"

"I will" Donna quickly typed in the rest of the code, her finger pausing at the enter key.

"NOW!"

She hit the enter key hard and closed her eyes shut as the Doctor screamed and screamed painfully. At minus seventy, the screen switched itself off. There was a hum in the air, a powering down noise.

"No," the Doctor called tiredly from the stasis chamber. "Donna you can't stop it, not yet."

"What's happened?" Donna rushed to the panel, then looked back at McDonnell questioningly.

"Power's been cut in engineering," she replied quietly.

"Why?" Donna yelled at her.

McDonnell didn't seem to hear her, her eyes on the door. "Leave it to me," she dashed off.

Donna turned back to the keypad. It made noises, but nothing was working, the screen was blank. She could hear the Doctor moaning in the chamber, muttering words she could barely understand.

"Donna, listen," he gasped suddenly, "I've only got a moment, and you've got to go. Get to the front," he explained. "Vent the engines. The sun particles in the fuel, get rid of them."

"I am not leaving you," Donna snapped, pressing the keypad buttons in effort to get the system started again.

"You've got to! Give back what they took! Please, go!" the Doctor screamed.

"I'm coming straight back for you, got it?"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"_Impact in four, oh-eight." _

Donna ran the length of the ship, leaping over each doorway. The intercom was getting another workout, as she ran. McDonnell, saying she was sorry. The ship, reporting that the exterior airlock was open. Scannell calling McDonnell's name in question.

Donna didn't stop running. She knew, somewhere on the ship, McDonnell had just said goodbye.

She leaped over another doorway into area four.

"_Donna."_

The Doctor's voice on the intercom made her stop in her tracks.

"Doctor what are you doing?" she shouted.

"_I can't fight it,"_ the Doctor roared. _"Give it back! Burn with me, Donna Noble."_

"_Life support systems reaching critical. Repeat, life support systems reaching critical. Impact in one, oh-six. Collision alert. Collision alert."_

"It's not working!" Riley shouted. "Why's it not working?"

She leaped into the room. "Vent the engines. Dump the fuel!" she called.

"What?" Scannell fired.

"There's sun particles in the fuel, get rid of them," Donna ordered. "Do it! Now!"

Riley and Scannell jumped into action, running down the length of the engines, turning knobs. The ship's running commentary reported a fuel dump was in progress. Donna wrapped her arms around a railing as the ship was thrown around.

"_Impact averted. Impact averted." _

Donna sighed in relief while Riley and Scannell hugged each other and laughed.

"Oh could I have a hug?"

Donna turned to see the Doctor leaning against the doorframe and flung her arms round the man.

"Thank you Donna" the Doctor said into her hair. "You saved me"

"Just doing my job" Donna replied, pulling away. "But next time you do something stupid like that. You get a slap, got it?"

The Doctor swallowed. "Got it" he said weakly.


	24. Donna's Nature

_They barely dodged the green laser before the TARDIS door slammed shut. The Doctor began to frantically press buttons and flick switches, Donna slumped against the railings breathing frantically. Suddenly there's a beeping noise. _

"_Crap! They're following us" the Doctor said. _

"_What! But how?"_

"_I don't know! They probably nicked a vortex manipulator. They could follow us anywhere. Right across the universe, never stopping…unless…"_

"_Unless?"_

"_Donna you trust me right?"_

"_Oh no this is never good"_

"_Donna!"_

"_Oh all right, yes I do"_

"_Because this all depends on you"_

"_What does?"_

_The Doctor walked away from the console and stared at something in the corner. "These creatures are hunters" he said quietly. "They can sniff out anyone and with me being a Time Lord…well I'm unique aren't I? They can track us down throughout all of time and space"_

"_Can't we hide from them?"_

"_That is exactly what we'll do Donna, for three months that's how long they got left"_

"_But where is it safe? You just said they can find you anywhere!"_

"_Only if I'm a Time Lord…looks like I'm going to be human"_

There was a rapid knock on her door and she moaned loudly as she pulled the pillow over her head.

"Donna! Wake up, I got breakfast!"

"GO AWAY!"

"Now, now Donna don't be rude. Let me in"

Donna let out another groan as she threw her covers off and got out of bed, pulling on her dressing gown as she stalked to the door and yanked it open. "Yes?" she spat out.

"Donna how many times have I told you to be polite?" John scolded her.

"Oh you can talk Space-Boy" Donna shot back stepping aside to let him into her room.

John pushed in Jenny the maid's trolley filled with two trays of breakfast. "I hate it when you call me that" he grumbled.

"And I hate it when you wake me up in the morning" Donna retorted slamming the door shut, she stormed over and threw herself onto the small sofa in her room. "Have you nicked Jenny's trolley again?" she asked.

John sighed. "Honestly Donna, your language is just plain foul. Mother would have a stroke seeing you act like this. You got to act like a proper lady, not a street orphan"

Donna rolled her eyes. "I'm not playing any role for you, got that? I do my job well and that is that. How I talk and how I act has nothing to do with it"

"You're a school librarian, you got to set an example to the students" John argued.

"Why the flipping heck should I? All the ones over fifteen are to busy ogling at my arse" Donna snarled.

John choked on the piece of toast he was nibbling. "Honestly Donna!"

"Well they are! Hutchinson and Baines especially and no matter how many times I complain to the Headmaster, nothing happens to stop it!" Donna said taking a quick sip of her tea, wishing it was coffee. Coffee wasn't very popular round this time and the school doesn't stock it...and they refused to order some in just for her.

"One day the Headmaster will no longer tolerate your terrible attitude and manners and he will dismiss you" John said warningly.

"Doubt it I caught him staring at my tits every bleeding time I complain to him" Donna muttered, causing John to choke once again.

"Honestly Don-"

"Are you still having those dreams?" Donna interrupted smoothly, not really wanting to hear Honestly Donna for the tenth billionth time this week.

"Yes, I keep dreaming that I'm this daredevil, this adventurer, this madman. I call him the Doctor" John said repeating the same rant that he had ranted every morning for the past two months. Donna made a mental note to tell the Doctor that he's a boring sod as a human. "I dreamt about you last night, you weren't my sister, you were my companion and you were from the year 2007"

"John I think you hit your head a little too hard before you went to bed" Donna teased. "Honestly John what would mother say if she heard you speak like that?"

"Oh ha, ha, ha" John said sarcastically as he crossed his arms.

Donna got up and smirked. "Since you're here you can help me put on this damned corset on" she said.

"What?! Donna no!" John cried out. "Why can't you get the maid to do it?"

"Because Miss Posh Titties, Matron Redfern won't share" Donna said firmly. "So get to it! NOW!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna cycled on the bumpy, badly made roads between the green fields – that she hated – towards the barn she had hidden the TARDIS in. The moment she tried to get off of her bike she tripped over the hem of her dress – something she also hates – and landed face first in some very smelly hay. She let out a little irritated growl as she jumped back onto her feet and stormed off into the TARDIS.

"Bloody countryside. God I hate the countryside" Donna grumbled. The TARDIS let out a little agreeing hum. "Morning TARDIS, bored out of your skull?" Donna said as cheerfully as she could. The TARDIS hummed. "God I am going to kill him before he can open that bleeding watch! He keeps saying it, honestly Donna this, honestly Donna that, one day I'm going to find a way to strangle him with that word!"

She was rather sure the TARDIS just laughed then.

"Soon though, just three more weeks and then we're free from this godforsaken bog hole" Donna promised the TARDIS as she tenderly ran a hand down a structure. She sighed. "There's this annoying snobby woman called Joan Redfern, she's a nurse. She's always going on about how I should act like a proper lady and the rate I'm going I'll never be a wife." Donna snorted. "Who wants to be a wife? There's more to life than that. But you can so tell that Joan wants the Doctor – well John really but they're still the same in away"

The TARDIS grumbled.

"Exactly! Redfern is treading on marked territory. He's not for her, he's for our Rose." Donna agreed. "Well then I better be off" Donna said. "I'll come back tomorrow with another rant for you"

Donna then skipped out feeling a hell lot better than she did before.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"How many of my blooming books did you steal?!" Donna half shouted as she exited John's office carrying half of a very enormous pile of history books.

"Hone-"

"Finish that sentence and I will kill you" Donna hissed causing John to swallow. "Now come on lets get these back to the library, it could have been worse I could have made you carry them all"

"We make a good team you and I" John said grinning. "Team TARDIS"

Donna swallowed, she hadn't heard that phrase in a long time, Team TARDIS was something Rose called the Doctor, Jack, Donna and herself. A lifetime ago for some and only two very short years for others. "Yeah Team TARDIS" Donna agreed. "Come on then Space-Boy"

They carried on chatting as they walked down the hall, they reached the notice board when they heard a shout and turned to see Matron Redfern.

"Hello John" Matron Redfern said breathlessly, ignoring Donna.

"Hello Matron" John said edging closer to Donna.

"And how are you today?" Matron Redfern asked.

"Oh don't mind me then" Donna muttered sarcastically.

"_We're _fine" John said stressing on the we to remind Matron Redfern of her rudeness to Donna. It didn't work.

"Have you seen this notice?" Matron Redfern said nodding to the notice board. "There's a dance in the village. A village dance this Friday"

"Ooh a dance, I haven't been to one in ages" Donna squealed. "I should go! And you Space-Boy got to take me because there is no way I'm going on my own and being hitted on by random pervy farmers"

"Miss Noble!" Matron Redfern shrieked. "What awful language! Honestly John you should discipline your sister!"

John's eyes darkened and Donna's eyes narrowed. Donna was resisting the temptation to slap the woman and John was trying to control his anger at Matron Redfern for being rude about his sister. "Come along Donna. We got to put these books away and then look into getting you a dress for this dance" he said stiffly.

As they walked down the stairs Donna turned her head slightly to stick her tongue out at Matron Redfern.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They were walking back to the school arm in arm. A Thursday night in the pub, normally she would be pissed out of her skull by now but John wouldn't let her have more than a pint of cider...fucking skinny twat, something else to add on to the list of things to yell about. Suddenly a large flash of green shot through the sky and they looked up in amazement.

"Wow that's beautiful" Donna breathed.

"It is isn't it? Rare and beautiful, random as well, not everyday a comet just falls out of the air like that. Normally it only happens in a certain season or something, I'm not qu-"

"Just shut up Space-Boy" Donna snapped.

"Honestly Donna, your language is appalling" John sighed.

"Honestly John you're twit!" Donna shot back. She craned her neck to catch a glimpse of the comet. "I think it landed in Coppers field. Lets go and see" she was about to run off when John tightened his grip on her arm.

"Donna you are a fragile girl, you're most likely to break your neck running off in the dark" he said sternly. "Now come along, lets get back to the school it's getting late"

Donna gritted her teeth, Must. Not. Kill. Human. She thought to herself darkly as her hands twitched to throttle him.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"It could have been the Family" Donna said thoughtfully to the TARDIS. "Or I could be completely worrying about nothing...what do you think?"

The TARDIS played the video of the Doctor, the one she heard over a thousand times.

"Yeah, yeah not really helpful. Remind me to slap him later for acting like I'm stupid" Donna said to the ceiling. "Well I got to go back, speak to you tomorrow"

Donna locked the door firmly and climbed back onto her bike as she cycled slowly she spotted John walking slowly with a large distance between his companion, Matron Redfern, Donna speeded up and accidentally on purposely knocked Matron Redfern down.

"Oh I am so sorry!" Donna said jumping off of her bike and kneeling beside Matron Redfern. "Are you all right Matron? Here let me help you up, oh no that's all right, John can take my bike back to the school while I walk you up to the school. Come along Matron, bye John"

Neither John nor Matron Redfern got a word in as Donna swept the blonde Matron away. Once John was completely out of earshot Donna said casually. "I know what you're trying to do"

"Oh?"

"You're trying to get him to court you and then marry you" Donna said solemnly.

"You know Donna you can't keep your brother to yourself, just because you can't get a man" the Matron said spitefully.

"Ew and I could get a man just by clicking my fingers. I chose not too" Donna said calmly. "I'm just protecting my sister-in-law's interest"

"Sis...sister in law?" Matron Redfern said weakly.

"Yes Rose, lovely girl. She's just finishing off her medical course, John is all supportive and said he'll wait for her here before they move to Scotland." Donna carried on putting on a dreamy expression. "They already brought a lovely house there, big enough for children. They want lots of children, five I think they said. But first Rose wanted to finish her medicine stuff so she could look after the little ones properly"

"He doesn't wear a ring though" Matron Redfern observed.

"Wears it on a chain, so it could be close to his heart" Donna said. "John was always the romantic" she paused and looked at the Matron who looked hurt, pale and angry. "Are you all right Matron?"

"Yes, I am fine" Matron Redfern said coldly.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

There was one fast rap on the door and he went to answer it. There stood a furious Matron Redfern.

"Yes Matron, how may I help you?" John asked courteously though he wanted to stay away from the woman.

"I know about Rose" she said firmly.

"W-w-w-what? How?" John spluttered. How did she know about his dream girl? The girl he dreamed of doing unspoken things with, the girl that he took forever drawing her picture, just so he can get it perfect.

"Donna told me. I have no interest in courting a man like you. Now good day Mr Noble" Matron Redfern barked as she stormed off, head held high.

Well...that was odd...remind him to find a new hiding spot for his journal, it seems Donna has been reading it again.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna was gritting her teeth as she was trying to enjoy a good book (that she nicked out of the TARDIS library and hid under a really ancient book cover), the maid Jenny was cleaning her room...though cleaning would be an overstatement the woman was wandering around sniffing her head off – wait! Sniffing?

Donna looked at the maid who did it again. Shit. Bollocks. Crap. fuck...the Family. She was sure it was, a closer look and she can see what looked like a typical alien blaster in the maid's apron pocket.

"Erm...excuse me Jenny, I have to go and speak to my brother" Donna said getting up.

Jenny barely acknowledged her as she calmly walked out of the room, down the corridor and down the stairs...and then broke into a run.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Once again John was disturbed by knocking. Only this time it was a constant impatient rapping that never stopped when he didn't get to the door in time there was a loud bang and the door flew open as Donna stormed in.

"Honestly Donna, you can't go waltzing in and kicking doors!" John said sighing.

Donna pulled out a fob watch from her pocket and threw it at him. He caught it quickly. "Come along, open it, stop the Family and lets leave this place" Donna said quickly.

"What?"

"Open. The. Watch." Donna said slowly. "What part of that didn't you get. Come on, I don't have time, we need the Doctor"

"I knew you were reading my journal!"

"I have not!"

"Have"

"Not"

"Have"

"Not"

"Have"

"Not"

"Hav-"

"Oh for fuck's sake, we don't have time for petty arguments!" Donna shrieked. "Just open the goddamn watch and become the Doctor!"

John grabbed hold of her firmly by the shoulders. "Donna dear, they're just stories. They're not real, the Doctor isn't real. Have you got that?"

Donna felt like kneeing him in the balls. But then she decided to take a different approach, she sighed. "Yeah I guess you're right John" she said quite meekly, not her at all. John let go of her shoulders and she wandered to the fireplace and spotted a nice little clock. "I let my imagination run away"

"That's all right Donna, it happens to the best of us" John said in a soothing tone.

Donna picked up the watch and turned round, she moved so fast that John barely had a chance to move, she held the clock up and rammed it down on his head so hard it knocked him out.

"Sorry about that Johnny boy, but I don't have time for petty delusions" Donna said dropping the clock and moving to his side. She struggled to pick him up and half carrying him as she dragged him out of the room. "Blimey for such a skinny prick, you ain't half heavy"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor woke up with a groan. He was lying on the cool metal grating of the TARDIS floor and the gentle humming of the TARDIS was rather soothing for his aching head.

"You're awake!" Donna exclaimed. "Finally! Look we don't have time, the Family is here and they're possessing humans"

"What the hell did you do to me, it feels like a herd of Slitheen played trampolines on my head" the Doctor moaned.

"Now I was thinking, is there away to bind them to their human bodies? That way we can force them to live normal human lives and they get to live a bit longer than three weeks, or we could bind them to the bodies and then run them over with a tractor"

"Donna!"

"All right, all right no running them over with a tractor" Donna said hastily. "How about a horse?"

"_Donna_"

"Fine, you sort them out and I sit here" Donna grumbled. "And I'm not apologising for your head it was your own goddamn fault"

The Doctor decided not to say anything as he walked out and went to sort out the Family.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Using Donna's suggestion the Doctor made sure the Family couldn't escape their new found human forms. He then dumped them in various times so they couldn't work together to go back to travelling time and space. What he didn't tell Donna was that he blew their ship up, didn't need the hassle of her lecturing him.

"Right then" Donna said. "On the behalf of me and the TARDIS we would like to say; if you ever do that again, pick a more interesting time to hang out in. John Noble from 1913 was boring as hell"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Honestly Donna-"

Donna slapped him hard. "Never. Ever. Say. That. Again." She hissed.


	25. Blink

"That's the Doctor" Billy read off the script.

"Yep that's me" the Doctor grinned and gave a small wave into the camera.

"No it always sounds like he's replying but he always does that" Billy read.

"Yep I do"

"And that"

"Yep and this" the Doctor nodded his head to the side and winked. Billy began to re-read his lines. He frowned. "Are you going to read out the whole thing?" he rolled his eyes as if to say 'humans!'

"Who are you?" Billy read.

"I'm a time traveller or I was but I'm stuck in 1969"

Donna butted in pushing the Doctor out of his chair. "_We're _stuck, all that time and space, Space-Boy over there promised me and now I'm stuck in a shop supporting him! Like being stuck in 1913 wasn't bad enough, this time I have to make sure to keep his hyperactive backside out of trouble and away from jelly babies and marmalade. Who the hell eats that together, him apparently"

"Donna!" the Doctor warned pushing Donna lightly away.

"Oi! Don't push me out of the way Space-Boy, I'm having my rant, since the TARDIS isn't here this time I have to rant to someone and Sally seems to be a nice girl. Aren't you Sally?"

"Donna go now!"

"You go"

"Donna go before I use the hot water up tomorrow so you can't have a hot bath"

"You wouldn't dare" the Doctor didn't answer just hummed quietly to himself. Donna huffed before marching off.

"I've seen this bit before" Billy read.

"Quite possibly" the Doctor replied.

"1969, that's where you're talking from,"

The Doctor nodded. "Fraid so"

"But you're replying to me, you can't know what I'm going to say 40 years before I say it!" Billy read out.

"38" the Doctor corrected.

"How? How is this possible! Tell me"

The Doctor groaned. "People don't understand time; it's not what you think it is"

"Then what is it?"

"Complicated"

"Tell me"

"Very complicated"

"JUST BLOODY TELL THEM!" Donna screeched from the corner of the room.

"I'm clever and interested and don't patronise me because people have died" Billy read out smiling slightly, Sally did seem to be the type to care for everyone. "Tell me"

The Doctor shifted in his chair and held his hands out. "People assume that time is just a straight line, including me when I was young and naive but actually it's just a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey Wimey...stuff" the Doctor rotated his hands trying to show what he was saying.

"Yeah I've seen this bit before, you're going to say that this sentence got away from you" Billy read.

"Yeah it got away" the Doctor mumbled.

"Next you're going to say is well I can hear you"

The Doctor looked directly in the camera. "Well I can hear you" he paused. "Well not hear you but I know exactly what you're going to say"

"How can you know exactly what I'm going to say?"

"Look to your left" the Doctor nodded to his left. He waited for a while, Billy nodded. "I got the copy of the final transcript in the hands of my cameraman"

"How can you have the final transcript? It's still being written!"

"I told you I'm a time traveller!" the Doctor exclaimed. "I got it from the future. Billy read out a rant from Sally who was trying to work everything out. The Doctor cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Yeah wibbly wobbly, timey Wimey" he paused again and waited for Billy's nod. "What matters is we can communicate. We got big problems now; they've taken the blue box haven't they? The angels have the phone box"

"What do you mean angels? Do you mean those statue things?"

"Creatures from another world" the Doctor said darkly.

"But they're statues!"

"Only when you see them"

"What does that mean?"

"Lonely assassins they're used to be called. No one knows where they came from but they're old as the universe or very nearly. They survived this long because they have the perfect defence system ever evolved, they're quantum locked. Whenever someone looks at them, they freeze into rock, no choice, its fact in their biology! And you can't kill a rock...of course a rock can't kill you...but then you turn your head away and then you blink...and oh yes it can. That's why they cover their eyes, they're not weeping, and they just can't risk looking at each other. Their greatest asset is their greatest curse, they can never been seen, loneliest creatures of the universe. And I'm sorry, I'm very, very sorry...but it's all up to you now Sally Sparrow"

"What am I supposed to do?" Billy read out.

"The blue box, it's my time machine, the energy in there could feed them forever but the damage...well it can freeze a sun. You have got to send it back to me"

Billy then shook his head. The Doctor leaned back.

"And that's all I'm afraid, that's the last of your end of the transcript. I don't know what made you stop talking but I can guess...they're coming. The angels are coming for you but listen your life can depend on this" the Doctor leaned into the camera. "Don't blink, don't even blink, blink and you're dead! They are faster than you can even imagine. Don't look away, don't turn away and for the love of god don't blink!" he swallowed. "Good Luck Sally Sparrow"

"And cut!" Billy shouted turning the camera off.

"You were far too melodramatic" Donna said.

"Always the critic aren't you?" the Doctor shot back.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Hello! You must be Billy Shipton" the Doctor called towards a black man dressed in a black leather jacket looking weak, tired and confused.

"Where am I?" Billy asked as the Doctor walked closer to him, his device beeping louder.

"1969 not so bad you got the moon landing to look forwards too" the Doctor said smiling down at him.

"Over-moon landing is brilliant" Donna said cheerfully remembering it. "Went to see it four times, back when we had transport" she shot the Doctor a glare.

"I'm working on it" the Doctor defended himself.

"How did I get here?" Billy asked.

"The same way we did" the Doctor replied ducking under the railings. "Touch of an angel, it was good luck you landed in the same year" Billy tried to get up but the Doctor pushed him back down gently but firmly. "No don't do that. Time travelling without a capsule is nasty, you need to wait through the side effects" he sat himself beside him.

"I don't...I can't" Billy mumbled.

"Fascinating race the Weeping Angels" the Doctor mused. "The only race to kill you nicely. No fuss, no mess, just zap you back into the past and let you live to death. The rest of your life used up, blown away with a blink of an eye. You die in the past and they consume the days you might have had in the present, all of your stolen moments" the Doctor took a breath and sighed. "They're creatures of the abstract, they live on potential energy"

"What in god's name are you talking about?" Billy demanded.

"Trust me when he's in one of these moods just nod when he stops for breath" Donna advised him. "Otherwise you'll end up even more confused than before"

"I tracked you with this" the Doctor lifted up his detector. "This is my Timey Wimey detector! It goes ding when there's stuff! Also it boils eggs...when you want it or not...I learnt my lesson to stay away from hens it's not pretty when they blow up"

Billy looked rather scared of the Timey Wimey detector. "We're banned from that farm now" Donna mused to herself.

"I don't understand where am I?" Billy asked.

"1969, the Doctor told you already" Donna said gently.

"Normally I would offer you a lift home but someone nicked my motor. So I need you to take a message to Sally Sparrow and I'm sorry Billy, I am so very sorry...it's going to take you awhile" the Doctor said smiling sadly.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Doctor!" she called out. "Doctor! DOCTOR!"

"Hello" the Doctor said cheerfully to the mousy woman who was staring up at him in awe. "Sorry we can't stay for a chat there's this...thing, yeah this thing we need to stop"

"My god it's really you" the woman said. "It is really you...oh you don't remember me do you?"

Donna stepped forwards. "Doctor we got to go the migration thing has started" she said before taking a few steps in the direction they were planning on going to.

"Look, I have a complicated life" the Doctor confessed quickly to the mousy haired woman. "Things don't happen to me in the same order as they do to you, it gets a bit confusing at times, especially at weddings, I'm rubbish at weddings, especially my own"

"My god of course, you're a time traveller it hasn't happened to you yet. None of it happened to you" the mousy haired woman said laughingly. "It's still in your future"

"What hasn't happened to me yet?" the Doctor asked nervously, he hoped no one died in this future.

"Doctor Get a bloody move on, we got to go!" Donna said impatiently. "20 minutes till hatching time!"

"It was me...my god it was me, you got it all from me" the mousy haired woman said sighing.

"Got what?" the Doctor asked.

"Ok one day you are going to get stuck in 1969" the mousy haired woman said holding up a purple folder while the Doctor was inwardly cursing at what stupidity he had done to get himself stuck in the sixties. "Make sure you have this with you" the Doctor took the purple folder. "Make sure you have this with you, please it is important."

"DOCTOR!"

"Yeah, well I got to dash, things are happening" the Doctor babbled. "Well four things...well actually four things and a lizard, long story please don't ask it was Donna's fault"

"OI!"

"Ok" the mousy haired woman said nodding. "Off you go, save the world. See you around yeah?"

The Doctor began to run across the road he turned back and waved. "What was your name?" he asked.

"Sally Sparrow" the mouse haired woman called.

"Good to meet you Sally Sparrow" the Doctor said smiling. A man with sandy hair and beard carrying a small pint of milk was walking towards Sally, he stopped and stared at the Doctor in shock, Sally slipped her hand through his and the Doctor swallowed, the pair reminded him too much of himself and Rose.

"Goodbye Doctor" Sally said beaming before she turned away and led the man back into their shop.

"Doctor, move now before I slap you!"

The Doctor ran as fast as he could.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Donna what are you doing?" the Doctor asked rubbing his eyes, hoping when he was done the image of Donna painting on some ones wall was gone.

"I'm doing that message for Sally, you know the one that was found under all the wallpaper" Donna said in a tone that suggested that she thought the Doctor was mentally retarded.

"But did you really have to put kisses on? It makes it look less threatening and mysterious" the Doctor whined.

"Oh quit your whinging, it could have been worse. I could have put down Space-Boy or Space-Moron or something incredibly insulting about your weight" Donna said waving a paintbrush at the Doctor.

**Beware of the Weeping Angels.**

**And duck.**

**No really duck.**

**Sally Sparrow **

**Duck, Now!**

**Love from, **

**The Doctor and Donna xxx (1969)**

_Authors note: short I know. Buuuuuuuuuuuut next chapter has JACK in but there's a catch...I'm not updating till I get 250 reviews. So you know the drill. _


	26. Utopia

**Authors Note: for Krazzy Kez who made 250.**

"Cardiff!" the Doctor shouted cheerfully.

"Oh again, can't we go somewhere else?" Donna groaned from behind her magazine.

"Oh come on Donna there's nothing wrong with Cardiff" the Doctor protested.

"Last time we came here I lost my memories of that day. The time before that I almost died in a dreary dungeon like basement...at the hands of zombies (do you realise I can no longer watch zombie films now?) and before that I tripped over and landed in some candyfloss, it got stuck in my hair. Time before that I was run over by a cyclist, the time before that I broke my ankle, the time before that-"

"Ok, ok, I get it you and Cardiff are cursed" the Doctor said rolling his eyes. "Besides we don't need to even leave, the engines are filled and off we go!" the Doctor pulled down a lever and pressed a couple buttons.

Suddenly the TARDIS rocked harshly to the side sending the pair onto the floor.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?" Donna shrieked.

The Doctor climbed back up to his feet, holding tightly to the monitor as he read it. "We're accelerating" he gasped.

"Accelerating where?" Donna said through gritted teeth as she held on tightly to the railings.

"Into the future" the Doctor said reading the screen. "Year one billion, five billion, five trillion, fifty trillion…year one hundred trillion…we're going to the year one hundred trillion"

"What happens there?" Donna asks not liking the tone of voice the Doctor was using.

"We're going to the end of the universe!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"End of the universe and here's me thinking it would be something spectacular" Donna said eyeing her surroundings critically. It was dark, dank and freezing cold.

"You're always complaining" the Doctor complained.

"So do you!" Donna retorted, not knowing the retort had covered the sound of someone gasping.

"I do not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

There was a chuckle. "Some things _never _change" an American drawl floated through the air. Both Donna and the Doctor stiffened as they turned to see...Jack. Jack in his 1940 era clothing, Jack looking just as gorgeous as the day Donna lost him, Jack looking maybe a little older in the eyes...

"Jack" Donna whispered.

It happened so fast that the Doctor missed it because he blinked. One second Jack and Donna stood a distance away from each other and the next Donna was crushed against the TARDIS's side, her legs hooked round Jack's waist and her arms wrapped round his neck as he snogged the life out of her.

"NO!" the Doctor shrieked. "Not up against the TARDIS! Inside your own bedrooms yes fair enough but somewhere where I have to see and touch everyday! That's not fair! Stop it!"

Jack pulled away and Donna was gasping for breath. "Hello" Jack said grinning.

"Hello" Donna breathed.

"Hello" Jack replied.

"Oh we're not starting this again!" Donna retorted crossing her arms. "You can put me down now before the Doctor has a double heart attack"

Jack lowered Donna back onto the ground and held her to him tightly breathing in her scent. "Oh I missed you darling" he whispered.

"Missed you too" Donna murmured back before pulling away.

Jack turned to the Doctor. "Doctor" he said stiffly.

"Captain" the Doctor returned coldly.

"Blimey you wouldn't know they were best friends would you?" Donna muttered to the sky.

"Good to see you" Jack said.

"And you" the Doctor. "Same as ever...though have you had some work done?"

"You can talk!" Jack retorted.

The Doctor looked confused for a moment before his eyes widened in realisation. "Oh yes the regeneration, the new face. How did you know it was me?"

"The police box kind of gives it away" Jack said. "I've been following you a long time...you abandoned me"

"Did i?" the Doctor said flatly. "Busy life, moving on"

Donna marched up to the Doctor and slapped him hard on the face. "How dare you?" she hissed. "How dare you say that?!"

"Now I know things definitely haven't changed that much" Jack muttered to himself. "I just have to ask" he said louder. "The Battle of Canary Wharf, I saw the list of the dead...it said Rose Tyler"

"Oh no, sorry!" the Doctor shouted cheerfully, a grin forming on his face. "She's alive!"

"You're kidding!"

"Parallel world, safe and sound. And Rickey the Idiot and Jackie" Donna said cheerfully.

"Yes!" Jack laughed and the three of them embraced each other tightly, Donna squashed between Jack and the Doctor, all three of them laughing.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Jack and Donna were now walking with their arms linked as Jack started to retell how he ended up here with them.

"Well I woke up alone on that game station, covered in dalek dust. The TARDIS dematerializing right before me, leaving me alone"

"Oh Jack" Donna gasped. "I was trapped on Earth at the time, if I knew…" she trailed off when Jack shook his head at her grinning.

He held up his wrist and waved it before her eyes. "but I have this, don't I? My vortex manipulator"

"You and your toys" Donna said rolling her eyes in amusement.

"Yep! The Doc isn't the only one that can travel in time"

The Doctor spluttered indignantly. "That is not time travel! It's like…like I got a sports car and you got a space hopper"

"So I bounced" Jack said shrugging. "So anyway, I got the times wrong" Jack said sheepishly. Ignoring the Doctor's smug HA! "Landed in 1865, I spent the next 140 and so years waiting for the Doctor in Cardiff knowing full well that the Doctor would stop at some point to refuel"

"But you look so young!" Donna exclaimed. "Was the Doctor right, have you had some work done?"

"You'll just have to wait and see" Jack said winking.

"Stop it!" the Doctor said tiredly.

"He's just jealous because he won't be getting laid tonight" Donna staged whispered.

The Doctor froze at the sight behind Donna and both Donna and Jack looked at what he was staring at in awe. It looked like a city just made of rocks, bendy pathways running in all directions.

Jack let out a low whistle. "what do you think it is?" he asked.

"A city or a hive or a nest, maybe even a conglomeration" the Doctor said shrugging.

"There used to be life here" Donna whispered. "but it's all gone…what happened?"

"Time" the Doctor said flatly. "Just time. Everything is dying now. All the great civilisations gone" she pointed up at the sky. "this isn't just night, all the stars have burnt out and faded away. Into nothing"

"What's that?" Jack asked pointing to a mob chasing someone.

"Don't know but it looks like a hunt" the Doctor said. "Come on!" he ran down the hill with Jack and Donna hot on his heels, hand in hand.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The three raced along the cliff side, keeping their eyes set on their target down on the low flat lands. A grooved path of some sort of wheeled vehicle served as a path in the low light.

Jack laughed loudly. "Oh I've missed this!" he shouted.

The Doctor reached the flat area of land first, but it was Jack who caught the terrified and dirty dark haired man. "I've got you! I've got you." When the man struggled in his arms, Jack handed him off to the Doctor and pulled out his gun as the man screamed and yelled.

"Jack, don't you dare." Donna shrieked. Turning, to look over at Donna, Jack paused and mouthed sorry before raising the gun. Firing off a shot, he watched as the hoard before them stopped at the noise.

Swallowing, Donna looked over the forms of the future kind nervously, "What are they?"

"There are more of them," the strange man shouted, "We've got to keep moving!"

"My ship will be alright. It's safe," the Doctor told him, "its right over there." They all turned to look back the way they came and saw another group of the vicious hunters running down the same path, "Maybe not"

"We're close to the silo," the stranger informed them, "If we get to the silo we're safe."

The Doctor turned to the others. "Silo?" he asked.

"I vote for silo" Jack said.

"Me too, silo for me" Donna agreed.

At the votes, the strange man took off running in the opposite direction. Running after him the three companions found themselves by a large gate with blinding lights shining in their eyes.

"It's the future kind!" the strange man screamed to the men manning the gate only a few yards in front of them, "Open the gate"

"Show me your teeth!" one of the guards yelled as they reached the high metal gate.

"Show me your teeth!"

"Show him your teeth." The three of them did.

"Human!" The guard yelled suddenly, "Human let them in, let them in." The heavy gate opened just wide enough for the rest of them to slip inside. "Close it! Close the gate!" The guards threw their weight against the gate and the head guard opened fire on the ground in front of the future kind. Donna took a step back as the future kind growled at them from beyond the gate. "Go back to where you came from," the head guard said firmly.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They had wandered round the silo watching the dirty people gather round talking in hushed voices. The Doctor found a door and opened it up to reveal that they were in a rocket, Jack saved the Doctor from falling out and they slammed the door shut and chatted away when suddenly a voice shouted out "Doctor" repeatedly. The Doctor turned round and held a hand up in the air bouncing up and down on his feet.

"That's me!" he called out.

An old man about roughly seventy came forward; he wore a smart black waist coat and bowtie with white shirt and black trousers. He eyes the Doctor in disbelieve before beaming. "Good, good, good, good, good" he said before gesturing him to walk after him.

"Apparently I'm good" the Doctor said grinning. Jack and Donna chuckling behind the Doctor as they followed the man.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They were lead into a laboratory, the old man leading the Doctor straight to a wall that looked like an old oven with a CD rack on it, power cables falling out of it everywhere. It looked a lot like one of the Doctor's inventions that he made when he was bored…they usually ended up on fire if Donna remembered correctly...which she did.

"Now, this is the gravitismal accelerator. "It's powerless, but it—"he explained.

"Chan, welcome, tho," a blue alien woman bowed her head to Donna and Jack.

"Hello I'm Donna" Donna said holding a hand out to the blue woman.

"Chan, Chantho, Tho," she took Donna's offered hand meekly and smiled.

"But we can't get it to _harmonise_," the old man's voice rose from across the room.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack offered Chantho his hand, grinning at the woman, who quite obviously blushed on her blue skin. Donna coughed loudly. "And this is my girlfriend Donna Noble" Jack added the very well rehearsed line.

"I can't believe you remember that" the Doctor called over.

"I have him well trained" Donna said smugly.

"Can't I say hello to anyone?" Jack protested.

"Jack, hello is practically an invitation to bed with you" Donna said sulkily.

"Chan, I do not protest, tho," Chantho fluttered.

"Well I do" Donna snapped.

"So what have we got here?" Jack offloaded his backpack, and then clapped his hands as he walked off to the middle of the room.

Donna, being her usual curious self stepped towards the backpack and tried to peek through the gaps only to see something shimmer, she could almost hear bubbling sounds.

"And all this feeds into the rocket?" the Doctor asked wonderingly.

"Yes…" the old Professor said uncertainly. "Except without a stable footprint the thing won't ever achieve escape velocity. If _only_ we could harmonise the five impact patterns, and unify them, well we might yet make it," he turned away from the machinery. "What do you think, Doctor? Any ideas?"

"Well," the Doctor gulped. "Uhm. Basically. Sort of," he looked around. "Not a clue."

"Nothing?" the Professor asked quickly, shaking his head in confusion.

Donna was now slowly peeling the backpack top off while the Doctor looked a bit guilty. "I'm not from around these parts; I've never seen a system like it. Sorry," he explained.

"No, no," the old man stuttered, "I'm sorry. My fault, there's been so little help."

"Jack! What the hell?" Donna shouted jumping away from the bag.

Jack moved toward her. "I said I had a Doctor-detector," he picked up the jar, drawing it out of the pack. A hand bubbled away inside it, waving at her. Donna couldn't remember anything in Jack's story about a hand.

"Chan, is this a tradition amongst your people, tho?" Chantho asked uncertainly.

The Doctor's eyes widened, "Not exactly. Jack, that's _my _hand! The one the Scyorax chopped off?"

Jack nodded, shrugging.

"Should that be counted as stalking or something?" Donna asked. "Hang on, can you lob bits of your body off and re-grow them?" the Doctor nodded.

"Chan, it is rather creepy, tho" Chantho said edging away from Jack as far as possible.

"Yeah it is" the Doctor said "Sorry, what was your name?"

"My assistant. And good friend, Chantho," the old man ushered the alien girl forward. "A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge," he explained.

"The city outside that was yours?"

"Chan, the conglomeration died, tho," Chantho replied sadly.

"I'm sorry" the Doctor said placing a comforting hand on Chantho's shoulder.

"Chan, most grateful, tho."

"So what about those things outside," Jack crossed his arms, changing the subject and addressing the old man. "Beastie boys. What are they?"

"Ah, we call them the future kind," he seemed to come back to reality, turning away from the hand in a jar on the coffee table. "This is a myth in itself. But uh, it's feared they are what we will become. Unless we reach Utopia," he nodded.

"An'…Utopia is?" the Doctor prompted.

The old man laughed. "Oh, every human knows of Utopia, where have you been?"

"Oh, you know," the Doctor waved his hand. "Here an' there."

He turned back to the old man, who motioned to him to follow him, and then walked back toward the centre of the room.

He led them to a black screen, with a blue map on it. There was a blinking red light in the top right corner of the monitor. Above the screen were the words, "Gravitational Field Navigation System".

The Doctor leaned his hands on the console, staring at it.

"The call came from across the stars," the Professor began to explain. "Over and over again. 'Come to Utopia'," he sounded distant for a moment, and then pointed at the red dot. "Originating from that point."

The Professor looked far away with a dreamy expression in his eyes, well no dreamy really more like distant.

"Professor?" the Doctor urged softly.

"Oh, um, right, that's enough talk," the Professor dusted off his waistcoat. "There's work to do, now if you could leave me, thank you."

"You all right?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes I'm fine - and busy."

"Except…" the Doctor faltered. "That rocket's not going to fly. Is it?" he said sadly. "This…footprint mechanism…thing. It's not working."

The old Professor paused, closing his eyes. "We'll find a way."

"You're stuck on this planet. And you haven't told them, have you? That lot out there, they still think they're going to fly."

The old man sat down. "Well it's better to let them live in hope," he held up his hands helplessly.

"Everyone lives in hope; this is probably the best they have" the Doctor said "Professor…?"

"Yana," the old man supplied.

"Professor Yana," the Doctor stepped up to one of the metal consoles in the middle of the room, "this new science is well beyond me, a boost reversal circuit in any time frame must be…a circuit which reverses the boost, so, I wonder what would happen," he took a cable in his hand, and began to sonic it. "If I did this," he said, between her teeth, pulling a small lever that joined the cables together.

There was a powering up whine, and lights began to flash. Professor Yana was still standing, mouth wide open in shock, looking at the controls powering up around him.

"Chan, it's working, tho!" Chantho called from across the room.

"But…how did you do that?" Professor Yana was still gaping.

"Oh didn't I mention?" the Doctor said grinning smugly. "I'm brilliant"

"More like a big show off" Donna muttered under her breath causing Jack to snigger.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Everything was going to plan, they were prepared for lift off and the TARDIS was now placed in the very room they were in. Yana peered at it admiringly when suddenly an alarm started.

"Chan, we're losing power, tho!"

Suddenly one of the panels on the side of the wall started issuing sparks, and Jack jumped towards it, punching keys furiously. The Doctor jumped to the other side punching in the keys just as furiously. Donna hit the reboot button recklessly to try get the picture back.

"The radiation's rising!" the Doctor called from across the room.

"We've lost control!" Jack called, almost at the same time.

Professor Yana hobbled his way to a third panel, near the Doctor and Jack. "The chamber's going to flood!"

"Jack! Override the vents!" the Doctor called urgently.

The picture faded up on the screen, and Donna saw Atillo motioning furiously from the porthole.

"We can jumpstart the override!" Jack shouted.

A sound, quite like a lightening strike, rang through the laboratory, and Donna jumped to her feet, tearing her eyes from the monitor, seeing Jack raising a couple of live cables toward each other. It happened quickly Jack screamed out in pain as he was being electrocuted, he soon collapsed letting go of the cables. Donna screamed and ran to his side and began to perform CPR.

"Donna leave him" the Doctor said quietly. "Professor Yana you said that no one can enter that room without dying right?"

"Yes" Professor Yana said.

"Well…" the Doctor turned to look at Jack who sat up gasping causing Donna to scream. "I got you just the man for the job"

"Did someone just kiss me?" Jack asked.

"Yes" Donna said looking rather pale. "And she's going to kiss you again" she grabbed Jack's face and pulled him down for a long kiss.

The Doctor turned to Yana. "Do you have a bucket for me to puke in?" he asked quietly.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

From the audio speakers Donna could hear every word that was going on near the radiation room. Jack practically ripped his shirt off.

"Wh-what are you doing that for?" the Doctor squeaked.

"I'm going in!" Jack said

"The radiation doesn't effect clothing, only flesh" the Doctor said.

"I know I just want to look good" Jack said winking, the Doctor rolled his eyes. "How long have you known?"

"Ever since I ran away from you" the Doctor murmured. "Good luck" Jack threw open the door, ran in and slammed it shut.

"When did you realise?" the Doctor asked.

"Earth. 1892. Got in a fight on Ellis Island. Man shot me through the heart. Then I woke up. Thought it was kinda strange. But then it never stopped," he paused. "Fell of a cliff, trampled by horses, world war one, world war two, poisoned, starvation, a stray javelin." The Doctor winced. "in the end I got the message, I'm the man that can never die. And all that time you knew"

"It's why I ran. It's not easy Jack...because looking at you...you're just wrong"

"Prejudiced Space-Arse" Donna muttered angrily under her breath as she carried on listening.

"Thanks" Jack hissed.

"You are I can't help it. I'm a Time Lord, its instinct, it's in my guts. You're a fixed point in time and space, you're a fact. That's never meant to happen. Even the TARDIS reacted against you, tried to shake you off. Flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid off you" the Doctor explained.

"So what you're saying is that you're...prejudiced" Jack said gasping.

"I never thought of it like that" the Doctor said.

"Course you hadn't" Donna muttered rolling her eyes.

"Shame on you!" Jack growled mockingly.

"Yeah"

"Last thing I remember…when I was mortal" Jack said quietly "I was facing three daleks, death by extermination. What happened?"

"Rose" the Doctor replied.

Donna froze. What did Rose do? She knew Rose looked into the heart of the TARDIS, destroyed the daleks and the Doctor saved her by a kiss. She knew the Doctor regenerated from it....did Rose bring Jack back? If so Donna owed her the gigantic thank you card she could find.

"I thought you sent her back home"

"She came back, opened the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed to time vortex itself."

"What does that mean exactly?!"

"No one was meant to have that sort of power" the Doctor said calmly. "if a Time Lord did, then he would become a god, a vengeful god. But she was human; everything she did was so human. She brought you back to life, but she didn't have control over it so she brought you back forever. Well that's something I suppose the final act of the Time War was life."

"Could she change me back?" Jack asked.

"I took the power out of her. She's gone Jack, she's not just living on a parallel world, she's trapped there" the Doctor said sadly. - "Not for long knowing Rose" Donna muttered under her breath. – "The walls have closed" the Doctor finished.

"I'm sorry" Jack whispered.

"yeah"

"I went back to her estate, in the nineties, just once or twice, watched her grow up, never said hello. Timelines and all that" Jack said struggling with something.

"What about Donna, did you watch her?"

"No that would be too weird. Watching the woman you love as a child. Makes you feel a bit perverted. I kept tabs on her when she was eighteen. Watched her then, was so tempted to go after her, even if it was just for one night" Jack said.

"Yeah a bit too much information there Captain" the Doctor said disgusted. A pause. "Do you want to die?"

"No, say no" Donna whispered pleadingly.

"Ooh this one is a little stuck" Jack said instead.

"Jack!"

"I thought I did...but I don't know. But this lot, you see them out here surviving and that's _fantastic!_"

Donna grinned at that.

"You might be out there somewhere" the Doctor observed.

"I could go meet myself?" Jack asked excitedly.

"Well, it'll be the only man you'll be happy with and I think Donna would enjoy it" the Doctor said cheekily.

"Too right I would" Donna said dreamily.

"This regeneration, kinda cheeky" Jack said laughing.

Donna was chuckling when she turned round to see Professor Yana looking pale as he stared down at something in his hand. "What's wrong Professor?" she asked gently.

"Huh?" Yana said looking up. "Oh, Miss Noble....it's, well it's this _time travel_. They say, there was time travel, back in the old days. I never believed it…but what would I know?" he laughed to himself, Donna watched him worriedly. "Stupid old man," Yana muttered to himself. "Never could keep time. Always late, always lost," he smiled at Donna, fumbling his waistcoat pocket. "Even this thing," he extracted a silver fob watch. "Never worked," he huffed.

Donna's eyes widened when she realised what the watch was...but that was impossible right? Then again travelling with the Doctor and getting to know Rose, Donna had learnt that impossible meant nothing. "I know that watch" Donna breathed.

"Do you?" Yana asked eagerly. "What is it? Where is it from? Please Miss Noble, I must know"

"Well why don't you open it?" Donna asked.

"It's...it's broken" Yana said.

"Just try it" Donna encouraged. "I'll be back; I just have to get the Doctor"

She then broke into an excited run.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

But of course nothing ever goes to plan, does it? The Doctor is horrified as this Time Lord turns out to be some sort of psychopath that killed poor Chantho (who shot him) and locked himself into the TARDIS, Donna can hear the Doctor pleading as she and Jack are working hard to keep the future kind out of the room so they can actually live.

The Master, something she heard the Doctor call him, regenerated, she could hear the screams and see the orange glow. The new voice, she knew it, somewhere she knew it, she was sure.

The TARDIS then dematerialised and the Doctor stood there frozen, helpless, alone.

"DOCTOR, HELP US!" Donna screamed.


	27. Sound of Drums

**Previously:**

_The Master, something she heard the Doctor call him, regenerated, she could hear the screams and see the orange glow. The new voice, she knew it, somewhere she knew it, she was sure. _

_The TARDIS then dematerialised and the Doctor stood there frozen, helpless, alone. _

"_DOCTOR, HELP US!" Donna screamed. _

There was a blinding flash of light before three people appeared gasping and leaning on one another. Jack moaned quietly to himself, the Doctor held onto his sides while Donna looked like she was going to be sick any moment.

"That was horrible" Donna managed to get out.

"Non capsule travel in the vortex, it's a nightmare on the body" Jack said "I puked the first time I did it, you two managed well though"

"This is why the TARDIS is so much better than that bloody wristwatch" the Doctor said smugly. "Speaking of which we need to find her"

"How do you know that the TARDIS and that Master bloke are here?" Jack asked.

"I locked the co-ordinates on the TARDIS so she would only go between where we were to the last place we've been"

"Which was naturally 2007" Donna muttered.

"He can be anywhere" the Doctor said. "so be on your guard, who knows who he might be"

The three of them walked down the street side by side, the Doctor couldn't help but notice that everyone was subconsciously taping out a beat.

"Great we missed the election" Donna said sarcastically, checking the date on a nearby newspaper.

"Damn I wanted to vote for Saxon" Jack cried out.

"Who's Saxon?" the Doctor asked.

"Not sure really, he's a great man, wonderful. Going to change Britain for the better" Jack said.

They stopped before a large flat screen in the middle of the town and watched everyone applauded as a brown haired man and a blonde woman walked down the steps.

"WHOO!" Jack shouted "Saxon did win; I was going to vote for him"

"Me too" Donna said grinning.

Saxon stopped before the cameramen and beamed. "Thank you, thank you"

Donna paled. "That voice…I recognise it"

"Bloody hell the Master bloke is our Prime Minster" Jack blurted out.

They watched the Master bend down and kiss the blonde.

"And he got married?!" the Doctor said disbelievingly.

"Not that much of a ladies man, I take it" Donna said with amusement.

"Lets just say before Chantho was the nearest he was going to get" the Doctor said.

"This country has been sick" the Master said into the camera. "This country needs healing, this country needs medicine, in fact I would go as far to say that what this country really needs, right now, is a Doctor"

Donna snorted. "Like that wasn't subtle" she muttered.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

There was a knock on her door, groaning thinking it would be her mother bombarding her with rants about her father, Martha opened it to reveal (much to her shock) the Doctor, Donna and a really, really hot man.

"Hello I'm Captain Jack Harkness and who are yo- OW! Donna that was my foot!" Jack said starting of flirty and ending up whiney. While Donna looked smug as she took her foot -that she had stamped rather hard on- of Jack's foot.

"Can we come in?" Donna asked sweetly. "We got a bit of a problem that involves an evil Time Lord who has already taken over Britain"

"What?" Martha blinked.

"Harold Saxon, turns out he isn't even human, who would have thought?" Donna carried on pushing past Martha. "We need to do some research and work out a plan to save the TARDIS. As much as I would love to see my Granddad, my Mum will only interfere, also I don't want to introduce her to Jack yet. Can I have a cup of coffee?"

"And Donna said that the Master wasn't subtle" Jack murmured to the Doctor causing him to cough to hide his hacking laugh.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Jack was borrowing Martha's laptop to show the Doctor Saxon's website while Donna explained to Martha what exactly was going on. The Master had set himself a whole life, university in Cambridge, parents, schooling, wife...the Doctor said that he could have only been there for eighteen months top, from what Donna could make out that would mean the Christmas before...the Battle of Canary Wharf.

"The Master was always..._hypnotic _but this is a massive scale" the Doctor said in thought.

"I was going to vote for him" Donna announced.

"Really?" the Doctor said disbelieving.

"Don't sound so shock, I do keep up with politics you know...just in case we had another Slitheen issue" Donna said winking at the men. "But it was before I met you again. I liked him"

"Me too" Jack said.

"Here, here" Martha said in agreement.

"Why do you say that?" the Doctor asked. "What was his policy, what did he stand for?"

"I don't know...he always sounded good. I could trust him" Donna said thoughtfully as both she and Martha began to tap out a beat on their laps. "It was nice, he spoke about...i can't even remember what he talked about but it was good, just the sound of his voice"

"WHAT'S THAT?"

Donna jumped and did a little shriek, when she saw nothing behind her she glared at the Doctor.

"What?" Martha asked.

"That tapping, that rhythm, what is it?"

"I don't know it's nothing!" Martha said nervously. Suddenly an alarm on the laptop said that Saxon was broadcasting on TV.

"The Lord and Master is coming to speak to his kingdom" Donna muttered sarcastically as the Doctor turned on the TV.

"Britain, Britain, Britain" the Master said holding his hands together before him. "What extraordinary times we had. Just a few years ago this world was so small and then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies"

A clip of a spaceship crashing into Big Ben appeared.

"Oh I remember that!" Donna cried out "Slitheen, ended up blowing up Downing Street"

"Why am I not surprised that was you?" Martha muttered under her breath as Jack gave Donna a proud kiss on her temple.

A clip of the ghost and the metal men came on. Donna's nostrils flared in fury, the day Rose was taken away from the Doctor.

The clip of the Racnoss ship appeared. Causing Donna to shudder and Jack wrapping a comforting arm round her shoulders.

"– time and time again and the Government told you nothing. But not me, Harold Saxon because today my purpose is to tell you citizens of Great Britain…I have been contacted"

The Doctor, Donna, Jack and Martha leaned forwards in interest.

"A message to humanity from beyond the stars" the Master said, Donna raised an eyebrow, she had to hand it to the Master, he sure knew how to be dramatic. A clip of a metal sphere appeared.

"People of the Earth" it said in a childlike voice. "we come in peace, we bring great gifts, we bring technology, wisdom and protection and all we ask in return is your friendship"

The Master pouted. "Aw sweet" he said in what Donna found a patronising tone. "And this species have identified themselves, they call themselves the Tolcafane"

"What!" the Doctor exclaimed

"And tomorrow they're going to appear not in secret but to all of you, diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow we take how place in the universe. Every man, woman and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer and I don't know…every medical student?"

The Doctor looked up at Martha in panic, before lunging to the TV and turning it round to reveal a bomb wired to the TV.

"OUT!" he screamed. The four of them scrambled to their feet, the Doctor snatched up the laptop as Jack herded Martha and Donna out of the door. They had only just made it out on the street when a loud exploding sound could be heard and the window smashed, fire could be seen.

"Everyone all right?" the Doctor asked.

"I'm fine" Jack said.

"Me too" Martha said gasping.

"Donna?!"

Donna wasn't listening she had pulled out her mobile and dialled her home number. "He knows about Martha, what about my family?" she asked.

"Don't tell your mother anything" the Doctor shouted.

"Do I look stupid Space-Boy?" Donna snapped back. "Mum! Oh thank god you're there. Is Granddad with you?"

"Of course I'm here and so is your grandfather, Donna, are you all right?" Sylvia said gently, which was odd for her.

"I'm fine, I'm fine" Donna said. "Listen I need to know...has someone been asking about me?"

"Donna...i think perhaps you should come round" Sylvia said.

"What? Look Mum I can't, not now" Donna said.

"It's about your grandfather...he's...he's got cancer! Yes and he needs you Donna sweetheart, come round, he needs your support" Sylvia pleaded.

Donna looked at the phone with suspicion. Her mother never called her sweetheart, never. Her grandfather knew full and well if he was ill he only had to phone Donna and she would come running...also her mother never did the whole sentimental support thing. "Granddad can't be ill" Donna whispered.

"Ask him yourself" Sylvia said quietly.

"Donna it's me" Wilf said.

"Granddad? What's going on?" Donna asked meekly, the Doctor and Jack surrounded her with concerned looks on their faces.

"Just come round sweetheart and I'll explain"

"Granddad, just say yes or no...Is someone else there?"

There was a moment of silence.

"YES! Sweetheart you grab the Doctor and run as fast as you can. They're after you two! I refuse to betray you two, you're my grandkids-"

There was shouting and sounds of struggling.

"Granddad! Granddad! What's going on?" she couldn't hear anything but struggling, she slammed the phone shut, snatched Martha's keys out of the woman's hand and ran to the car. "I got to go after them!" she shouted.

"That's exactly what he wants!" the Doctor shouted.

"I don't care!" Donna screamed. "My Granddad adores you, he just said right then that he thinks of you like you're his grandson, we're going after them!"

The Doctor looked shocked but immediately got in on the other side, Jack and Martha slid into the back seat and Donna shakily started the car and then she began to drive...fast, furious and plain terrifying.

"I begin to see the Doctor might actually be the better driver" Martha said turning a faint green as Donna skidded along.

Donna braked harshly in time to see Sylvia being dragged off into a police van.

"DONNA! GET OUT OF HERE, GET OUT OF HERE!" Sylvia screamed.

A SWAT team gathered before them, holding their guns up. "Donna, reverse, now!" Donna didn't need telling twice, she reversed harshly the bullets only managed to hit the back windscreen.

As they drove furiously, Donna felt tears roll down her cheeks; the Doctor reached out and took her hand.

"Sweetheart we got to pull over and ditch the car" Jack said calmly. Donna nodded and began to pull over.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

From listening in on Martha's call to Tish the Master managed to talk to the Doctor. From what Donna could make out the Master was up to something bad and it involved these Tolcafane things. She could also figure out that the Master was watching them from CCTV and that they were the top four most wanted criminals in the whole of Britain. They were now hiding in a warehouse eating chips.

The Doctor told them about the Master, a school friend of his back when he was a kid. He told them about the Time Lord's custom to make the eight year olds to look into the vortex, the Doctor had ran (which really didn't surprise Donna since the man runs from a spatula each time Donna threw it at him) but the Master had gone mad. The Master can now hear drums in his mind.

Suddenly Jack's vortex manipulator beeped and he began to tap in codes. "Crypted files with a message attached. Don't recognise the sender though"

"Oh lets see" the Doctor said putting his chips down.

Jack looked nervous. "Since we're telling stories...there's something I haven't told you" he typed into Martha laptop and suddenly a Torchwood sign appeared.

"You work for Torchwood" Donna and the Doctor growled at the same time.

"I swear to you, it's different, it's change, there's only half a dozen of us-"

"After everything Torchwood did, to Rose, to the Doctor, to me. Fuck Jack they were going to feed me to a giant spider" Donna spat out. "And you were part of that"

"I swear to you its changed" Jack said pleadingly. "When the old regime was destroyed in the Battle of Canary Wharf...Donna what happened to you was a rogue working with an alien...i changed it I swear and when I did it was in yours. Rose's and the Doctor's honour"

"How can I trust you?" Donna asked.

"Donna _please _this is just like the first time we met. Remember? I was a conman but it never changed anything, I already..."

They watched the video in silence; it was a reporter telling them everything she knew about the Master and the Archangel Network. They began to discuss plans when Martha mentioned the TARDIS and the keys causing the Doctor to snatch them all up, pull out a new one and muck about with the sonic screwdriver.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked.

"I am making a perception filter for us, we're going to that broadcasting and we're going to stop the Master" the Doctor said grinning. "You see, the TARDIS has a perception thing all ready, so if I hack into the Archangel Network, I can..." he put on the key. "Donna can you see me now?"

"Yes you're an annoying skinny twerp that swinging round like a hyperactive kid" Donna said rolling her eyes causing Jack to chuckle.

"That's because you want to see me, I knew I was gorgeous in this body" the Doctor said triumphantly...causing Donna to slap him.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They stood there silently as they watched men drag Sylvia and Wilf across the air field. Sylvia and Wilf were fighting every step.

"My god I'm going to kill him" Donna whispered fiercely.

"We'll get them back, I promise" Jack reached out and took her hand. "I say we used the perception filter to sneak up on him and break his neck" Jack growled.

"That's Torchwood talk. We don't kill him unless it's last resort" the Doctor said coldly.

"Still a good plan" Jack muttered.

"He's a Time Lord, that makes him my responsibility…I won't kill him" the Doctor said.

"Well don't expect me to join in on family night on the TARDIS" Donna snapped. "Can you imagine playing monopoly with those two" Martha let out a giggle while the Doctor frowned at Donna.

"The Valiant is a UNIT aircraft" Jack said taping something his vortex manipulator. "to 58 point north to east"

"How do we get on board?" Martha asked the Doctor.

"Does that thing work as a teleport?" the Doctor asked Jack.

"Since you revamped it…yeah. The co-ordinates are set"

The four of them placed a hand onto Jack's vortex manipulator and disappeared in a blue white flash.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They appeared in the ship groaning. Martha and Donna were on the floor clutching their side while Jack and the Doctor were jumping up and down.

"God that thing is rough" Martha burst out.

"Reminds me of last night!" Jack said causing Martha to giggle and the Doctor and Donna to roll their eyes. "Welcome to the Valiant"

Donna slowly stood up and stared out of the window to see the skies, it was rather beautiful if it wasn't the fact she was here to stop a psychotic Time Lord.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They found the TARDIS, it took awhile for the Doctor to unlock it as his hand was shaking and the Master might have changed the locks, in sheer frustration he banged his fists on the door before using the sonic screwdriver. They ran in to the find the TARDIS light in angry red and her console being mutilated.

"What happened to her?" Jack breathed.

"Don't touch anything" the Doctor whispered.

"I wasn't going to" Jack defended himself.

"What has he done?" Martha asked. "It sounds like its sick"

The Doctor ran round the console "it can't be" he whispered "no, no, no, no, no, no, no it can't be"

"Rose what is it?" Donna asked.

"He's cannibalised the TARDIS" the Doctor growled.

"Is this what I think it is?" Jack asked with a disgusted look on his face.

"It's a paradox machine" the Doctor said confirming Jack's suspicions.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor had edged closer to the Master as the President of the United States was trying to communicate with the Tolcafane, who were claiming to like the Master better. Suddenly they killed the President and the Master jumped up away from the Doctor.

"HA! I admit it, it was me, guards grab them" he ran up the stairs and leaned over the railings as the guards' grabbed hold of the Doctor and pulled him before him. "Tut, tut Doctor. As if a perception filter would work on me, must think like a filthy human, well with the amount of time you spend with them..."

"Please" the Doctor pleaded. "End this madness"

"Oh look it's the girly and the freak, the sickeningly sweet couple" the Master said nodding to Donna and Jack. "though which is which" the Master reached into his trousers pocket as Jack charged to him, the Master then pressed a button on something and shot Jack who fell to the floor dead. Everyone gasped. "Laser screwdriver, who would have sonic? And the good thing is he's not dead for long I GET TO KILL HIM AGAIN!"

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Donna roared as she ran to Jack's side. Jack woke up with a choked gasp and Donna held him to her tightly, pressing a kiss on his forehead.

The Master pulled a face. "Yuck, see what you got there for a son-in-law Sylvia, a freaky immortal" Sylvia merely glared at him.

"Master, please just stop, just look at yourself and stop" the Doctor pleaded.

The Master turned to the cameramen. "Do excuse me, I got a bit of personal business to take care off" he turned to the guards. "Let him go" they did pushing the Doctor onto the floor as the Master strolled down the stairs.

"There's got to be away, to help you, let me help you" the Doctor kept on begging.

"Oh how to shut him up" the Master asked mockingly as he made a yapping gesture with his hand.

"Beat me mate, I can never shut him up" Donna grumbled.

To their horror the Master pulled out the Doctor's hand, with a ramble about Lazarus's technology and how he could reverse it, he turned the Doctor into a man of 100 years old.

Donna and Jack ran to him, Martha hovering round them and the two held onto the Doctor's arms. "Now I bet you've been wondering…why I need a paradox machine, what will the Tolcafane do, well old man I'll show you"

To everyone's horror the sky split open and billions of Tolcafane spilled out.

"Tolcafane…kill one tenth of the Earth's population" the Master said grinning not noticing the Doctor whispering quickly into Donna's ear, not noticing Donna take something from Jack. He glanced at the foursome just as Donna looked at her family before disappearing in a flash and he let out a little roar of fury before calming himself down. "doesn't matter, I'll get the brat soon enough. Now I shall enjoy my reign as the Master of Earth"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna walked up the hill and watched in horror as the city before here was burning and screams could be heard. She looked up at the sky with a determined glare.

"You got my mother, my grandfather, my brother, my lover and Martha" she said quietly. "But you haven't got me. You better watch out you bloody pixie because Donna Noble is coming to get you"


	28. It Isn't Goodbye

**Previously:**

_Donna walked up the hill and watched in horror as the city before here was burning and screams could be heard. She looked up at the sky with a determined glare. _

"_You got my mother, my grandfather, my brother, my lover and Martha" she said quietly. "But you haven't got me. You better watch out you bloody pixie because Donna Noble is coming to get you"_

**Space Link Travel, advises to stay away from Sol 3 also known as Earth. Pilots are warned that Sol 3 is now entering terminal extinction. Planet Earth is closed; planet Earth is closed, planet Earth is closed. **

The sky was dark, the wind was bitter and the sea was cold against her legs as she jumped out of her little boat and began to pull it to the shore, her little lamp the only thing showing her the way. A man holding up a torch was waiting for her, in the distance he was tall and dark, the closer she got the more rugged and good looking he appeared.

"I take it your my guide Tom Milligan" she called out to him.

"Donna Noble?" he said in a questioningly voice.

"No it's your Lord and Master" she said sarcastically rolling her eyes. "Yes it's me you dingbat, see anyone else round here?"

The corners of the man's lips quirked upwards. "They said you were sarcastic, I didn't think they meant all the time" he said.

"Get used to it buddy, our Lord and Master has taken my family, love, friends and planet, the only thing he hasn't got is my sarcasm. I'm keeping that close" Donna said, a hint of sadness could be seen in her eyes. She eyed her surroundings and sighed. "Blimey things have gotten much gloomier since I left"

"How long has it been since you've left England?"

"365 days, a year" she said.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Tom Milligan showed her what the Master has been up to in England, building nuclear rocket missiles that were to be launched tomorrow morning. He kept asking her how she survived the Japanese Massacre and she kept evading him with a sarcastic retorts. The Tolcafane came and questioned Tom who quickly showed them his medical badge saying he was one of the workers, they giggled and then left.

Tom sighed in relieve when he realised something. "They didn't even notice you. How did you do that?"

"Now, now Tommy-Boy I can't give away all my secrets" Donna said smirking. "Come on you promised to take me to Professor Docherty"

"Of course, but I'll work it out" Tom said.

"I doubt it, even I don't know how it works completely" Donna said rolling her eyes.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Professor Docherty was a short stocky woman with mousy hair cut in a pageboy's style, her baggy clothes hung loosely over her. She was a warm, welcoming and eccentric woman who grabbed Tom in a firm hug and pressed a harsh kiss on his cheek.

"You don't visit as often as you should!" she scolded him playfully. "It's a lonely life in this little camp. Now where is she? Where is the famous Donna Noble?"

"Right here" Donna said waving a hand.

"Hmmm...Thought you would be younger" Professor Docherty said eyeing Donna.

"Yeah well I thought you would be a woman" Donna shot back looking miffed.

Professor Docherty threw her head back and laughed. "Oh I like her" she said to Tom. "Just the type of hero we need. A strong woman with a sharp wit, now tell me dear. What does the Donna Noble need me for?"

Donna pulled out a small round metal ball and everyone gasped causing Donna to roll her eyes. "Relax its dead. Deader than dead"

"But how?" Professor Docherty asked.

"Africa, there was huge electrical storm and it shot this down." Donna explained. "Now I was thinking...if lightening can kill it, could a high voltage shock knock it unconscious?"

"What so we can see what's inside?" Professor Docherty asked.

"Yes"

"I got a plan, an idea, the right equipment and everything...but well we're going to need bait" Professor Docherty said quickly as she fumbled with her papers. Both she and Donna turned to look at Tom.

"What are you looking at me for?" Tom asked nervously.

"Well Shaggy we need bait and here you are" Donna said with a glint in her eye.

Tom swallowed. "I don't have a Scooby Doo or is that you?" he shot back.

Donna threw the dead Tolcafane at Tom who caught it swiftly. "Shaggy meet Scooby. Now do you need a Scooby Snack?"

It worked, the plan happened swiftly, quickly and Tom didn't get a single scratch on him. Docherty and Donna cheered and high fived one another before they snatched up the Tolcafane and opened it up to reveal...a face.

It giggled. "You look funny" it said.

"You're one to talk!" Donna snapped.

The face looked at her. "Miss Donna, Miss Donna its you!" it squealed in delight.

Donna looked confused. "Do I know you?"

"Yes Miss Donna we met. The skies are like diamonds, remember? The skies are like diamonds"

When Donna, Jack and the Doctor entered the silo there were being shown round a by a boy no older than six, a sweet looking one with blonde curls and a gap between his teeth.

"Oh my god!" she whispered horrified. "But how...?"

"The Master saved us, there was no diamonds, only darkness and he saved us. Worship the Master, love him, love him! Hail the Master"

Tom shot it. Just to shut it up and a tear dribbled down Donna's cheek. "He was a little boy" she whispered. "Six years old and so many dreams...well now I know what the paradox machine was for. His from the future, killing us would mean killing himself."

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

At three-ish the Master broadcasted to the world. He showed the Doctor who was still old, still frail and he used his technology to make the Doctor even older, so old that he was small and hunched over like a little goblin. Donna reached out and touched the image and when the Master briefly mentioned that he put Wilf, Sylvia and Martha through a beating she pulled her hand away and went to punch the screen when Docherty grabbed her hand and said how she would like to keep her TV intact.

"I think it's time you told us the truth Miss Noble" Docherty said. "Legend tells it that you have walked all over the Earth looking for a way to kill the Master. Tell us is it true?"

"Just before I escaped the Doctor told me" Donna said pulling her bag out and tipping the contents out, three vials in neon yellow, blue and pink fell out along with a silver tin box. "The Doctor and the Master have been coming to Earth for years. And they've been watched, there's UNIT and Torchwood, all studied Time Lords in secret and they made this" she opened the box to reveal a small gun, "the ultimate defence. These three vials put together would kill the Master straight away, no regeneration. But UNIT had them scattered, hidden in the four corners of the Earth"

"And it will work?" Docherty breathed.

"Oh yes it will" Donna said smugly closing the box and putting the vials away.

"We better go, curfew will be starting in a couple hours and I aim to have her in a safe house in London" Tom said firmly.

"Take care" Docherty. "I want that bastard dead as soon as possible"

"It'll be over before you know it. I promise" Donna said.

Docherty embraced them both before saying goodbye and letting them go.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna was now sitting on the stairs with everyone surrounding her. They kept asking her how she survived, why is the Master scared of her, how is she going to stop him.

"Just shut up and listen" Donna snapped. "Because you all got your story wrong. I'm no hero, I'm no secret government weapon immune to the Tolcafane, I have no extraordinary powers. I'm just a temp. You see there's someone else. Someone who saved my life so many times saved yours before all of this and you never noticed him."

"Well who is he?" someone asked.

"His name is the Doctor. And he is wonderful. He's fire and ice, storm and the calm, the best friend you could ask for, the brother I never had...i adore him so much. You see tomorrow, at eight o'clock, don't think about how hungry you are, don't think about the Master, don't think about me...think about the Doctor because he deserves it"

Someone suddenly ran in looking terrified. "It's him! Oh my god it's him" a woman shrieked.

"Who?" someone shouted.

"The Master! Is here" the woman said.

Everyone gasped. "But he never comes down here. He never walks upon the ground" a teenage boy cried out.

"What, worried it'll soil his royal feet?" Donna grumbled under her breath.

"Hide her!" the woman shouted. Someone pushed Donna to the floor of the stairs and threw a coat over her.

"He walks among us" the teenage boy trembled. "Our Lord and Master"

"Lord and Master my arse" Donna muttered.

"Donna! Donna No-oble" the Master called out. "I can see you!" his voice went high pitched causing her to snort. "Out you come little girl, come and meet your Master" little girl? Why she ought ta show him... "Anybody? Nobody? No, nothing? Positions"

Donna took a deep breath and pushed everyone away, they protested but she silently shut them up with a glare. She lightly moved Tom away who held a gun to the letter box and she opened the door.

"Little girl? LITTLE GIRL?" she roared. "You're one to talk, haven't you gotten past puberty yet or is it some sort of Time Lord Thing where your voice goes squeaky every five minutes or so"

"You are a very rude little girl" the Master pouted. "I see why the Doctor chose you" he added brightly. "Now Donna you know what I want, on the floor now"

Donna pulled her bag off and threw it onto the floor. "Anything else your highness or shall I lick your shoes as well, for heaven forbid them to get dirty" she said sarcastically.

"Fire" the Master ordered the men, who shot at the bag, destroying the weapon. "Well Miss Noble I'm sure I can add those to your list of duties once we get back on board the Valiant. Grab her"

Donna silently but grudgingly allowed the men grab her firmly and drag her off. She glared daggers at the Master the whole way.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Master stood proud on the stairs, Lucy stood at the bottom of them in a red silk dress looking pale and tired, the Doctor was in a cage, Sylvia, Wilf and Martha stood in the back of the room in maid and janitor outfits and Jack was standing there to the side, handcuffed and restrained by guards while Donna knelt on the floor before the Master.

"What a terrible companion" the Master said to the Doctor. "Oh well I'm sure you tried, not all of them can hold the vortex in their head"

Donna snorted. "Is that supposed to make me jealous of Rose or something?" she muttered.

"No but I was merely showing the Doctor the error of his ways, how he's gone from brilliant companions to useless" the Master said with a mock sigh.

Donna burst out laughing, a maniacal, hysterical laugh.

"What's so funny?" the Master asked.

"Did you really think that, that was it? That I would foolishly let myself be caught out like that? Mate how frigging stupid are you?" Donna asked.

"I believe you're the stupid ape here" the Master sneered.

"Yeah, well walking round the Earth never lets you have time to shave" Donna said sighing. "Do you even know what I was doing travelling round the world?" Donna asked.

The Master shrugged. "Tell me" he said sitting down on the stairs.

"I told a story" Donna said simply. "that's all, no weapons just words. I did what the Doctor said and travel round the continents and found people and then I told them my story. I told them about the Doctor and everything he has done and then I told them to pass it on so everyone would know about him"

"Faith and hope, is that all?" the Master asked smiling in disbelieve.

"No" Donna snorted. "Because I followed an instruction just like the Doctor said" everyone stared at Donna in disbelieve. "That if everyone thought two words at one moment then-"

"Nothing would happen" the Master said loudly interrupting Donna. "Is that your weapon, prayer?"

"Don't interrupt me you bloody pixie" Donna snarled. "Right across the world, one word, one thought, one exact moment with fifteen satellites" the Master rose up slowly with his eyebrows high in his hair line.

"What?"

"The Archangel Network" Jack said grinning.

"A telepathic field where every human is thinking the same thing at the same time at the right moment and that one word is…Bad Doctor"

The countdown reached to zero and suddenly a silver light caught the Master's eye, he turned round to see the Doctor glowing silver.

"No, no, no, don't you dare. Stop it" the Master said.

"Doctor" Jack said grinning insanely.

"Doctor, Doctor" Sylvia and Martha whispered under their breaths.

"Doctor, Doctor" the crowds below shouted.

"Doctor" Donna said smiling widely.

"Doctor! You get him, son!" Wilf cheered holding his fist up in the air triumphantly.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" the Master shouted.

Everyone kept chanting the word even Lucy the Master's wife joined in.

"I had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and to integrate myself into the matrixes" the Doctor said growing taller and younger.

"I order you to stop!" the Master bellowed.

Everyone kept chanting the word.

"One thing you can't do is stop them thinking" the Doctor said.

Donna laughed and ran over to Jack holding him tight as they watched the Doctor and the Master disappear, fighting. "Darling you stink" she said.

"Yeah well the Master thought giving me a bath was too much of a luxury" Jack said pressing a kiss on her forehead. "Now excuse me I have a TARDIS to save"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Suddenly everyone else was flung to the floor and everything began to spin round quickly.

One of Donna's hands was taken by the Doctor and the other by Jack. "Time is averting!" the Doctor shouted as they began to spin faster and faster. She laughed gleefully on the top of her voice with Jack and the Doctor giggling with her. Suddenly everything stopped spinning and papers fluttered everywhere, everyone slowly got up and checked to see if everyone was all right.

"We gone back one year and one day" the Doctor said flatly/ "its two minutes past eight in the morning. The year never happened; it is the year that never was. Just a fairytale, a nightmare" or a tragic love story in her case.

"What about the spheres?" Martha asked.

"Trapped back at the end of the universe" the Doctor said.

"But I can remember it" Francine said wonderingly.

"We were at the eye of the storm; we'll be the only ones that ever know"

The Master got up and began to run towards the door only to be caught by Jack. "Whoa big fellow, where are you going? You're going to miss the party. Cuffs" the guard handed Jack a pair of cuff and he handcuffed the Master. "So what do we do with him?"

"Hold on one moment" Donna said marching up to them. "Before we make any decisions, I need to have a little chat with pixie here." a loud crack as Donna slapped him. "That was for tricking my mother" another slap. "For all the torture you put my mother and grandfather through" another slap. "For hurting Martha" another slap. "For blowing up Martha's flat" another slap. "For killing the majority of the Earth's population" another slap. "For turning the Doctor into a goblin" another slap. "For killing Jack"

By this time the Doctor was pitying the Master and dragged Donna to the side into Wilf's arms that held his granddaughter tightly.

"We should kill him" Wilf said.

"Execute him" Martha agreed heatedly.

"That's not always the solution" the Doctor said.

"Oh I think so" Sylvia said holding a gun up. "because of all those things still happened, because of him. I saw them"

"Go on" the Master whispered. "Do it"

The Doctor slowly walked up to Sylvia. "Sylvia, you're better than him" Sylvia let out a muffled sob before dropping the gun and clinging onto the Doctor sobbing properly. Donna then took Sylvia out of the Doctor's arms and the Doctor turned round to face the Master.

"You didn't answer the question. What are you going to do to me?" the Master asked.

"You're my responsibility from now on. The only other Time Lord left in existence" the Doctor said coldly.

"You can't trust him" Jack hissed.

"No, the only safe place for him is the TARDIS" the Doctor said firmly.

"You're just going to keep me?"

"If that's what I have to do, it's time to change" the Doctor said turning to Jack.

Suddenly a gunshot could be heard. They turned to see Lucy holding the gun. Jack went and took it out of the woman's hand and he held the practically cationic woman to his chest as she stood there wide eyed.

The Doctor stared at Lucy for a while; he couldn't blame the poor woman. After all she fell in love with a maniac that obviously abused her, that seeked out other women right before her nose and never actually said a kind word to her.

But she still killed his friend.

Donna closed her eyes and buried her head into her Grandfather's chest as she tried to muffle the Doctor's sobs and pleading.

She hated the man and she couldn't sympathise with the Doctor right now.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They were in Cardiff. Leaning against the rails enjoying the sun and breeze on their face.

"Time was that every single person once knew who you were" Donna said smirking. "You must have felt so popular, shame they don't remember you"

"Better that way" the Doctor said shrugging.

Jack ducked under the railings. "Time to go to work" he said.

"I really don't mind you know" the Doctor said. "Come with us, Donna needs you"

"I had plenty to think over the past year" Jack said. "The year that never was. And I kept thinking about that team of mine, like you said Doctor, responsibility"

"Defending the Earth, can't argue with that" the Doctor said nodding in approval. "Though I'm surprised Donna isn't arguing with you"

"Oh we already made arrangements to see each other every so often" Donna said grinning. "Looks like we're going to Cardiff more often, maybe it's not that bad"

The Doctor grabbed Jack's wrist to sort out the vortex manipulator. "Hey I need that!"

"I can't have you going round with a time travelling teleport" the Doctor said pulling out his sonic screwdriver. "You'd go anywhere, twice, second time to apologise and probably grovel to Donna"

"Could you change me back though? Will I ever be able to die?" Jack asked.

"Nothing I can do" the Doctor said shaking his head. "You're an impossible thing Jack"

Jack chuckled. "Like I haven't heard that one before" he leaned in and kissed Donna. "Goodbye sweetheart" he then saluted the Doctor. "Sir!" the Doctor replied with a quick salute. Jack turned to walk away but then turned round. "But I keep wondering, about the aging, since I can't die when I grow old-"

Donna interrupted with a cackle. "God you're vain love. He wants to know if he'll end up like a little goblin" she said to the Doctor.

"I can't help being vain" Jack protested. "I used to be a poster boy when I was a kid, in the Boeshane Pensuila, tiny little place I was the first one ever to be signed up to the Time Agency, they were so proud of me. The Face of Boe they called me, I'll see you" Jack started to run down.

"I knew it, I knew there was no way a face would hit on me unless it had some agenda like Jack" Donna said as the Doctor laughed his head off.

"OH BY THE WAY!" They turned to see Jack a far distance. "DONNA, IT WAS ME WHO ERASED YOUR MEMORIES THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE, JUST PRESERVING THE TIMELINE AND ALL!"

"WHAT?!" Donna screamed.

The Doctor ended up having the restrain Donna just to stop her killing Jack in public.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor was fiddling with the TARDIS while waiting for Donna to come back. She was right now sorting things out with her family and he thought to give them some breathing space. Donna came in with a sombre expression on her face.

"That bad?" the Doctor asked.

"They've been traumatised Doctor and Granddad isn't as young as he used to be" Donna said sadly.

"I'm sorry"

"I know...but...I'm going to stay here" Donna blurted out. "Not for long or anything, just a few months to sort things out. Also I think you need some breathing space"

"Donna I'm fine" the Doctor said laughingly.

"You're not" Donna said firmly. "And this time round I can't help. You go out there and do whatever just come back and pick me up on Christmas 2007, spend some time down here before you and I go back to adventures"

"You know the moment you leave I could just go straight there and pick you up" the Doctor commented.

"If that's what you want" Donna said shrugging. "For you it can be minutes or years just don't come back in a new body or I'll put you in a new one"

"Deal" the Doctor said.

Donna threw herself at him and held him tightly. "Take care"

"You too"


	29. Interlude: Noble Christmas

After he said goodbye to Mr Copper he was tired and weary. Battle scarred again, too many people died today, the sweet married couple, the strange robot and the beautiful Astrid. Astrid...she overwhelmed him for some strange reason. Something about her felt so familiar, it wasn't till he saw her glance over her shoulder before she fell over to her death he realised.

She reminded him of Rose.

He felt ill, never before had he been attracted to someone because they reminded him of someone else. Never. It felt incredibly wrong. Right now there was only one person he could go to, one place he can rest in, he knew it would be all right. For a start his presence has been demanded and another Wilf spoke to him last night and kept raving how better he is and how the Doctor should get Donna out of the house before she drives Sylvia up the wall.

The TARDIS started before he could even punch in the co-ordinates; apparently she knew what he should do as well. The TARDIS went quickly, quietly and smoothly and the moment she stopped he yanked the door open to see Donna standing there in slippers and dressing gown thrown over her flannel pyjamas.

"You cocked up again" she announced.

The Doctor groaned. "Please tell me this isn't Christmas 2009" he begged.

"It's not but you still cocked up" Donna said handing him her mobile. The text message was displayed on the screen in bold letters: **soz can't come 2 Xmas, Doc cocked up, in Feb. 08**

"Bugger" the Doctor muttered.

"Yeah you need to work on your piloting skills" Donna said shaking her head.

"So I take it you forgiven Jack if you invited him round for Christmas" the Doctor said casually.

"What? Nah, we arranged this earlier I refuse to speak to him since he announced that. Check my text messages" Donna said with a satisfied smirk. The Doctor went through, each of them were a mixture of grovelling, pleading and down right dirty. Jack was getting desperate the Doctor can see. "You look tired" Donna said softly. "Come inside and we'll have a cuppa before Mum and Granddad wake up"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The news was on the TV turned down low; Donna apparently was watching the Titanic almost hit Buckingham Palace when he came.

"I take it that was you then" she said passing him a much needed cup of tea.

"Yeah" the Doctor whispered.

"Wanna talk about it?" Donna asked softly. "Granddad said he saw you with a blonde..."

"Astrid....she's gone now, died to save us all" the Doctor said not looking up from his tea.

"What was she like?" Donna asked.

"She was like Rose"

"I'm sorry"

"What for?" the Doctor asked looking confused.

"you went on a rebound. I leave you for a while and you end up getting hurt, I should have stayed there to help" Donna rambled.

The Doctor looked shocked. "I do not go on rebounds!" he declared.

Donna snorted. "You're a person; people go on rebounds all the time. I did"

"Yeah and look at how well that turned out. Almost eaten by a giant spider, terrific" the Doctor pointed out.

"Never did like Lance"

The pair jumped and turned to see Wilf and Sylvia walking into the kitchen, they both looked more tired than before but other than that completely healthy.

"Something about him rubbed me the wrong way" Wilf continued. "Now that Captain Harkness bloke, he is definitely good enough for my little general"

"Granddaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad" Donna groaned blushing.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The day went quickly and quietly much to the Doctor's relieve. They opened Christmas presents and much to his surprise Wilf brought him every single version of the Christmas Carol on DVD ("Donna told me all about your Christmas with Charles Dickens" he said proudly.), Sylvia had brought him several new shirts and Donna brought him several...colourful ties...with Bugs Bunny, Tweety, Scooby Doo, etc. Etc. Etc.

"You need something more cheerful in your look" she had declared as she put the Bugs Bunny one on him immediately.

After Donna and her family got dressed they prepared dinner, watched the Muppet version of the Christmas Carol and lazed about after dinner watching Eastenders while rubbing their extremely full bellies. Donna then took the Doctor out to Wilf's favoured hill with a large thermo flask filled with hot chocolate.

"And if you turn this here, look to the far left, squint just a little, that's it" the Doctor instructed Donna. "What do you see?"

"A blob"

"Donna, be a little more imaginative!"

"Ok a silvery blue blob" the Doctor let out a little sigh. "Oh all right then Space-Boy what is it?"'

"A new planet, undiscovered right now in this time but in a century it'll be known as Fortuna, a small little planet with a breathable atmosphere. Silver water and blue grassland but otherwise Earth's twin"

"Wow" Donna breathed. "Hang on, Fortuna? Like the goddess Rose's sculpture was based on" the Doctor had told Donna the story during one of their quiet moments and then took her to see the statue afterwards...she slapped his smug face when he boasted how good he was at sculpting.

"Yep, guess who helped name the planet?"

"You didn't!"

"Just before you landed in my TARDIS"

"You mean when you abducted me out of sheer loneliness?"

"Cheek!"

Donna threw her head back and laughed. When she stopped she stared up at the sky with a twinkle in her eye. "This year coming up" she said. "It'll happen this year coming up"

"What will?" the Doctor asked with a frown.

"Rose's return, she's coming back this year. I'm sure of it" Donna said firmly.

**Authors note: and if you want Rose's return to be soon you have to give me 290 reviews. While you're reviewing and waiting you could read What Wolf? By AlexMcPherson, it's a fantastic read. **


	30. Rose's Return

"I'm so going to beat you" Donna said smugly into the phone as she quickly avoided hitting a car.

"Donna, you are in a rather large, bulky, crappy car while I'm in a magnificent time machine. I think I'm going to be the one who'll get to Adipose Industries first" the Doctor shot back just a smug.

"We'll see Time-Boy" Donna said calmly.

"Just don't hit any old biddies!" the Doctor hollered down the phone before hanging up and starting the dematerialisation sequence while ignoring the TARDIS's lecture about how he should not act like demented teenager.

The TARDIS stopped and he ran out of the door...to see Donna leaning against her mother's car with a smirk on her face. "What time do you call this? Mr Oh I Have a Magnificent Time Machine"

"Oh shut up!" the Doctor grumbled marching off to the back door with Donna snickering behind him.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They stopped the bad guy (well woman, Super Nanny even) from making little alien babies out of human fat (and bone, skin, hair and so on) but couldn't save her from her fate that the Adipose families had decided for her. They were prepared to leave when Donna remembered that she had to give her mother's car keys back and ran off calling her mother and telling her that she'll dump them in the bin.

She tapped a dark blonde woman on the shoulder, all prepared to ask her to tell her mother when the blonde turned...

"Rose" Donna whispered her eyes widening.

"Donna" Rose whispered. "It's you, I'm back, I'm back in the right universe"

"Yes" Donna said shakily as she pulled Rose into an embrace. "I knew you would come back, I told him, I told the Doctor that you would" Rose let out either a muffled sob or laugh, Donna wasn't sure but she pulled Rose away and cupped the younger woman's face. "Come on then, let's go to the TARDIS"

"I can't, it's isn't stable ye..."

Slowly, so slowly yet too quickly for Donna's liking Rose faded out. Disappeared right before her eyes. Donna opened her mouth before shutting it; she then opened again and screamed.

"DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!"

She ran back to the alley and crashed into the Doctor who must have heard her scream and came after her. He looped an arm round her waist to steady her.

"Donna what is it? What happened? Please tell me it's not another spider" the Doctor asked quickly.

"Rose! I saw Rose! She was back! I swear she was! Standing there watching the crime scene, she looks older, like twenty five-ish and she said something about she can't stay because it isn't stable before she faded out. Vanished into thin air!" Donna babbled.

The Doctor pressed a hand on to her forehead and Donna pushed it off impatiently. "Gerroff! What are you doing?"

"Checking that you haven't got a fever" the Doctor said pressing his hand back onto her forehead. "You haven't been taking any pills that I'm not aware of are you?"

Donna slapped him hard. "Can't you just accept that I'm right?!" she shrieked.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor didn't believe her no matter how many times she kept insisting on it, they went to Pompeii and met seers who can see the actual future, Lucius said "she is returning" and Donna knew he meant Rose, the Doctor just looked thoughtful. They went to a planet filled with Ood, already knowing the story of the devil and the impossible planet Donna was a little weary of them but was determined to set them free...which she did.

She then demanded lessons, so she could drive the TARDIS, why she never thought of it before she didn't know. To her surprise the Doctor accepted but then again it might have something to do with the fact she had raised her hand up menacingly. When they were going through a lesson Jack called the Doctor.

Earth needed them.

It had something to do with the ATMOS, Jack and his team (which had been reduced to two, Donna knew why because she had to console a sobbing Jack over the phone, and demand the Doctor to take them to Cardiff for the week so she knew Ianto and Gwen rather well) had joined forces with UNIT to figure it out.

Long story short Donna was in the TARDIS when the evil potato head aliens nicked it and when she was watching the transmission between the Sontarans and the Doctor, for a moment she saw Rose's face flicker on the screen. She screamed her name but she was gone.

Neither the Doctor or Jack believed her when she told them.

When Jack was giving her a very good kiss goodbye (yes she had forgiven him but it took a very long time) the TARDIS doors slammed shut and they were dragged to a planet where the Doctor ended up with a daughter (a very long story) Jenny. Sadly Jenny died, when the Doctor dropped Jack off he went to mope while Jack took Donna out for dinner.

"She had blue eyes" Donna said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Jenny, her eyes were blue. Like our first Doctor and she was blonde" Donna said rolling her eyes.

"Yes so?"

"She looked how I imagined Rose's and the Doctor's daughter to look like"

Jack was silent for a moment. "So did I, I looked at her and saw too much of Rose and the Doc. It wasn't fair, the Doc didn't deserve that"

"No"

They met Agatha Christie who was quite literally surrounded by mysteries, Donna was beginning to get sick of these clichés with authors, first ghosts with Dickens, then witches with Shakespeare now murders with Agatha Christie, what's next? Voldemort like aliens round J.K? after Agatha they went to the Library where they met someone from the Doctor's future her name was River Song and something she said unnerved the Doctor while it made Donna laugh her head off.

"It's odd seeing you without your wife"

After that Donna demanded a proper holiday, they went to a planet called Midnight and the Doctor went on a trip and came back completely scarred, Donna sat up the whole night just to keep the nightmares away.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They were standing in a market with bright red and orange banners and posters fluttered through. The Doctor let out a laugh from a joke the owner of a stall told him and Donna beamed, so glad to see the Doctor healing from the incident from the planet Midnight. The owner pours them foamy drinks and the Doctor hands Donna a glass.

"You are so going to love this" he said. "On the count of three. One...two...three" they take a sip and snort with laughter.

"This is lovely" Donna said finishing hers off before wandering by herself as the Doctor got pulled away by another stall owner. Donna passes a Chinese looking woman sitting serenely in front of her stall.

"Tell your fortune lady...your future predicted. Your life foretold" the woman said.

"I'm happy right now thanks" Donna said dismissively.

"You got red hair, the fortune is free for red hair" the woman persisted.

Donna let out another laugh. "All right then" she said.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna was sitting opposite the fortune teller who was holding her hands in a small tent. The smell of incense was almost overwhelming.

"Oh you are fascinating" the Fortune Teller said. "I can see...a man. The most remarkable man, how did you meet him?"

"You're supposed to tell me" Donna shot back looking amused.

"I see the future. Tell me the past...when did your lives cross?" the Fortune Teller said softly.

"It's sort of complicated. I ended up in a spaceship on my wedding day. Long story." Donna said shrugging.

"But what led you to that meeting?"

"All sorts of things. But my job, I suppose... it was on Earth, this planet called Earth, miles away... but I had this job, as a temp - I was a secretary at a place called HC Clements... " Donna's ramble was cut short as she saw herself in HC Clements office working before the tent came back into her sight. "...sorry"

"It's the incense. Just... breathe deep. This job of yours - what choices led you there?" the Fortune Teller said.

"There was a choice... six months before... because the Agency offered me this contract with HC Clements..." Donna said scrunching her eyes shut in memory.

_She was sitting in car, her mother in the passenger seat looking sullen and annoyed. _

"But there was this other job. My mum knew this man..." Donna said softly.

"_Jival, he's called. Jival Chowdry. He runs that little photocopy business and he needs a secretary." Sylvia said._

"_I've. Got. A job!" Donna growled through gritted teeth._

"_As a temp! This is permanent; it's twenty thousand a year, Donna." Sylvia went on her voice getting a pitch higher. _

"_HC Clements is in the city. It's nice, it's posh, so, stop it!" Donna snapped as she turned the key in the ignition. _

"Your life could have gone one way or the other. What made you decide?" the Fortune Teller asked interestedly.

"I just did..."

Donna didn't notice the large beetle crawl into the tent and slowly making it's way to her.

"But when was the moment? When did you choose..." the Fortune Teller persisted.

_They were now at a junction, a lorry drives past them. _

"_It won't take long, just turn right! We'll pop in and see Mr Chowdry, so Suzette can introduce you." Sylvia said in a pervasive voice. _

"_I'm going left, if you don't like it, get out and walk." Donna snapped getting frustrated. _

"_If you turn right you'll have a career, not just filling in!" Sylvia said getting equally frustrated. _

"_You think I'm so useless!" Donna burst out. _

"_Oh, I know why you want a job at HC Clements, lady - because you think you'll meet a man with lots of money and your whole life will change - well let me tell you, sweetheart, city executives don't need temps, except for practice!" Sylvia ranted. _

"_Yeah. Well, they haven't met me." Donna said turning left. _

"You turned left. But what if you turned right, what then..." the Fortune Teller said interestedly.

"Let go of my hands" Donna said pulling away getting scared.

"What if it changes, what if you go right, what if you could still go right..." the Fortune Teller droned.

"Stop it!" Donna shrieked. Something crawls onto her back, she could feel it. "What's that? ...what's on my back? What is it, what... what's on my back?"

"Make the choice again, Donna Noble, and change your mind... turn right." The Fortune Teller said in a hypnotic voice.

"I'm turning..." Donna whispered.

"Turn right... turn right. Turn right!" the Fortune Teller chanted.

_She was sitting back in the car, her mother was ranting on and she was listening. God her mother was right. _

"_Well let me tell you, sweetheart – city executives don't need temps, except for practise!"_

"_Yeah suppose you're right" Donna said dejectedly, switching the indication to right before turning. _

"Turn right and never meet that man. Turn right and change the world" the Fortune Teller said.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

She was in a pub holding a tray of drinks. It was crowded as everyone was celebrating Christmas, the decorations above looked tacky but at the same time Christmassy.

"Come on then. Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" Donna shouted through the crowd as she made her way to her table. She put down the tray grinning down at her friends. "Here we are! Feed at the trough!"

"Mooky says let's go to the boardwalk, it's two for the price of one!" Veena said.

"Christmas Eve, it'll be heaving!" Donna complained.

"Well exactly, get in and grab them!" Mooky said smiling slyly.

Everyone laughed.

"Hey, that's the second round of drinks you've bought, it was my turn!" Veena complained jokingly.

"I can afford it. Promotion. You are talking to Jival Chowdry's Personal Assistant, I'll have you know, capital P, capital a, £23,000 per annum, merci beaucoup!" Donna bragged.

"Here's to Mr Chowdry!" Veena said raising her glass.

"Mr Chowdry!" everyone chanted clinking their glasses.

"She gets all the luck!" Mooky said jealously. Donna wasn't listening she was looking at her friend Alice who was sitting there quietly looking terrified at Donna.

"What's wrong?" Donna asked. "What is it?"

"Sorry?" Alice squeaked.

"Did someone spill a drink on me?" Donna asked.

"Why?" Alice asked nervously.

"Why do you keep looking at my shoulder? What's wrong?" Donna persisted getting annoyed.

"I don't know..." Alice said quietly.

"Oh, don't tell me you're getting all spooky again, it was bad enough when you saw the ghost of Earl Mountbatten at the boat show! What are you looking at? What is it?" Donna rambled.

"It's like... it's like there's something I can't see." Alice whispered.

"Now, shut up! All of you come and see! Just look at the sky! It's a star! It's a Christmas star!" A man shouted from the door.

"...well, come on then!" Veena said getting up looking excited.

They ran out to see a huge silver webbed star flying over London, Veena and Mooky were complaining loudly about the waste of money it was when it suddenly started to shoot out bolts of electricity out. Everyone screamed but Donna who was staring at it in wonder. Alice is still staring at Donna's back.

"There is something on your back!" she screamed before running off. Donna ignores her and begins to run towards the star, ignoring her friends calling her back.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna ran until she reached a barrier where soldiers were guarding, she silently slipped past a truck and stood there watching them carry a body.

"Trap 1 to Greyhound 15, what is your report? Over" a tinny voice came from a walkie talkie.

"From the evidence I'd say he managed to stop the creature. Some sort of red spider. Blew up the base underneath the barrier, flooded the whole thing. Over." The solider said into the walkie talkie.

"And where is he now? Over."

"We found a body, sir. Over." The soldier replied.

"Is it him? Over."

**"**I think so. He just didn't make it out in time." Donna watched as an arm of the body flops down dropping the sonic screwdriver, she gasped and silently mouthed no. "...the Doctor is dead. Must have happened too fast for him to regenerate." Donna let out a choked sob, first Jack, then Rose and now the Doctor, this wasn't fair! She watched as the Doctor's body was loaded into the ambulance. "Escort the ambulance back to UNIT base." The soldier ordered.

Donna began to walk away slowly. The Doctor was dead...that was impossible, he was one of those things that always seemed invincible. But then...without her, without wonderful Rose and even more wonderful (in a totally different way) Jack...who was there to stop him? She knew he wanted to die but she thought Rose healed him...but Rose was dead as well...

...for a dead girl Rose was looking rather good as she was running towards her.

"DONNA!"

"ROSE!"

Donna ran towards Rose, tears streaming down her cheeks as she threw her arms round the younger woman and buried her head into Rose's shoulder.

"Donna, Donna you got to calm down. Please calm down" Rose begged stroking Donna's hair. "Donna it's Christmas, what year is it? Donna where is the Doctor, we have to find the Doctor and work out what year it is"

Donna pulled away slightly tears blurring her eyesight. "He's dead...the Doctor, he's gone!"

"I've come so far..." Rose whispered horrified.

Donna wiped her tears away. "2006" she muttered.

"What?"

"It's 2006, Christmas 2006" Donna sniffled.

"But it can't be...we just saw each other in...This is wrong, this isn't right at all" Rose shook her head, her eyes landed on Donna's back and they narrowed.

"Why do you keep looking at my back?" Donna snapped.

"I'm not!" Rose protested.

"Yes you are. You keep looking behind me. You're doing it now!" she turns round trying to look her back to see what Rose was staring at. "What is it? What's there? Did someone put something on my back?"

She turns to find the Rose gone.

"Rose? ROSE?!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

She got fired from her job, all that hard work and she was fired. Through a fit of fury she packed her stuff including some other things that belonged to everyone else. While she was doing that a hospital disappeared and when it came back everyone was dead but one medical student. Everyone including a Sarah Jane Smith and a Martha Jones...for some reason it felt like someone had walked on her grave. She needed air and walked out of the house.

There was a sudden blue flash coming from an alley and a black blur before Rose stopped just before her.

"Rose" Donna breathed, reaching out for the girl with shaky hands. Rose smiled sadly and pulled Donna into a gentle embrace.

"How're you doing? You're looking good. How's things, what have you been up to?" Rose asked quickly while looking at Donna's back.

"Rose, you're doing it again." Donna accused her.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Looking behind me. People keep on doing that. Looking at my back." Donna said sadly.

"What sort of people?" Rose asked.

"People in the street. Strangers. I just catch them sometimes, staring at me. Like they're looking at something. And then I get home, and I look, and there's nothing there." She turned to look at her back and even smacked it with her hand_. "_See? Look, now I'm doing it!

"What are you doing for Christmas?" the man asked suddenly.

"What am I what?" Donna asked getting confused.

"Next Christmas, any plans?" Rose asked.

"Rose sweetie Christmas is ages away." Donna sighed.

I think you should get out. You and your family. Don't stay in London, just... leave the city." Rose said dazedly.

"What for?" Donna asked, hands on her hips.

"Nice hotel, Christmas break?" Rose offered.

"Can't afford it." Donna said dejectedly.

"Well no, you, you got that raffle ticket." Rose pointed out.

"How do you know about that?" Donna asked. "Rose what's going on?"

"First prize – luxury weekend break. Use it, Donna Noble." Rose ordered.

Donna stared at Rose and examined her properly. Rose looked like she was twenty five and lost too much weight at one point. Her hair was no longer a bad hair dye job and she wore clothes so dark and so similar to the Doctor's.

She reached out and grabbed Rose's hand. "You're going to tell me what exactly is going on, why you're name is on the list of the dead, why you know things, why you're acting like the Doctor and I need to feed you, you're too skinny" there was a strange electrical sound and Donna's hand felt empty, she turned round to see Rose gone. "Damn not again!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna won the raffle; she, her mum and her granddad went to the hotel to celebrate Christmas. The very next morning a replica of the Titanic landed into London causing a radioactive explosion. So many people died. But she was alive, alive because that man told her to go...but how did he know? They were moved to Leeds and shared with a big family who at first seemed a bit over the top but soon enough they got on rather well. America could no longer help them, so many people died by being turned into fat. Fat that was waving goodbye as they flew into the air in a spaceship. The nice family was soon taken away, no one said it but the tear on her granddad's face told her that it was a concentration camp...more deaths.

She was woken up by the sounds of a gun shooting. She followed the sounds to find a soldier shooting at an exhaust pipe that was expelling gas. Something was wrong with the ATMOS, the solider pointed the gun at her, claiming he saw something on her back, her grandfather was ranting at him when she saw the familiar blue flash. She slowly began to walk away.

"Donna? Where are you going? It's not safe at night! Donna! Donna!" her mother screamed after her.

She went round a corner and there Rose stood. Rose grinned at her and held a hand out which Donna took immediately.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They were sitting on a park bench away from the city; the air was literally cleaner here than it was over there.

"It's the ATMOS devices. We're lucky it's not so bad here; Britain hasn't got that much petrol. But all over Europe, China, South Africa... they're getting choked by gas." Rose said mournfully.

"Can anyone stop it?" Donna asked.

"Yeah, they're trying right now, this little band of fighters, Great Spirit, lovely teamwork, some f the best I seen; they're on board the Sontaran ship. Any second now..." Rose said tapping her fingers on the wooden bench.

Suddenly the sky was on fire and it burned brightly before it went back to the dark night sky.

"And that was...?" Donna asked gasping in shock, her eyes wide.

"That was the Torchwood team. Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, they gave their lives...and Jack has been taken by the Sontarans"

"What? Jack? Is he alive? What do you mean Sontarans?" Donna half shouted.

"Jack's still alive Donna...but he's not on Earth anymore. There's no one left to save us" Rose said sadly.

"There's us" Donna pointed out.

Rose smiled sadly. "Something's coming, Donna. Something worse." she said.

"The whole world is stinking. How can anything be worse than this?" Donna asked in disbelieve.

"Trust me. We need the Doctor more than ever. I've - I've been pulled across from a different universe, because every single universe is in danger. It's coming, Donna. It's coming from across the stars and nothing can stop it." Rose said looking at her pleadingly.

"WHAT is?" Donna shouted.

"The darkness."

"Well, what do you keep telling ME for? What am I supposed to do? I'm nothing special. I mean, I'm... I'm not, I'm nothing special, and I'm a temp. I'm not even that, I'm nothing!" Donna shouted getting frustrated, she wanted more than anything to go to bed and cry.

"Donna Noble, you're the most important woman in the whole of creation now" Rose cried out. "I have always admired you, you're more than a temp you're a hero"

Donna let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, don't. Please Rose just... don't. I'm tired. I'm so... tired."

Rose hugged Donna tightly. "I'm sorry" she whispered. "Three weeks time. But you've got to be certain. Cos, when you come with me, Donna... sorry... so sorry, but... you're gonna die" Rose then faded right before her eyes.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

She was sitting with her Granddad on a hill watching the stars when the stars started to go out, constellations...nothing but darkness. She turned to see Rose leaning against the shed.

"I'm ready" she whispered.

Rose held out a hand and she took it.

They took a jeep to a warehouse where mirrors where placed in a circle with many lights. The lights weren't turned on and the mirrors were covered with sheets. There stood a giant blue box with wires connecting it to a large computer and the mirrors.

"Ma'am" a female officer saluted the Rose.

"I told you, no saluting" Rose admonished her.

"You can salute me if you like" Donna butted in.

"You must be Miss Noble" the woman said saluting her.

"Donna"

"Captain Erisa Magambo. Thank you for this." Captain Magambo said shaking her hand.

"I don't even know what I'm doing." Donna said.

"Is she awake?" Rose asked.

"Seems to be quiet today. Ticking over. Like it's waiting." Captain Magambo said.

"My god, the TARDIS" Donna gasped. "Where did you find it?"

"They salvaged her from underneath the Thames." Rose said calmly. "She's trying to help us solve this mess"

"Why me Rose?" Donna asked. "Why me?"

"Because you're brilliant. I think so; my Mum thought so, Mickey thought so-"

"Rickey the Idiot? Not a very good opinion then" Donna snorted.

Rose smirked slightly. "The Doctor sees the best in people all the time; he wouldn't have picked you if you weren't special"

"Did you and him...?"

"Oh yes"

"Finally!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Rose showed her the giant beetle like creature on her back and had to reassure her that she was special that it was nothing to do with the creature. Rose then told her what she was going to do...travel back in time. They got her ready and were starting the machine.

"Just remember, when you get to the junction, change the car's direction by one minute past ten." Rose instructed Donna.

"How do I do that?" Donna asked.

"It's up to you." Rose shrugged.

"Well, I just have to... run up to myself and... have a good argument." Donna said doubtfully.

Rose laughed. "I'd like to see that! I bet it would get rather interesting"

"Activate loadstone." Captain Magambo shouted.

"Good luck." Rose said.

"I'm ready!"

"One minute past ten." Rose reminded her.

"Cos I understand, now. You said I was gonna die, but you mean this whole world, it's gonna blink out of existence. But that's not dying. Because a better world takes its place. The Doctor's world. And I'm still alive! That's right, isn't it? I don't die? If I change things, I don't die? That's... that's right, isn't it?" Donna said hopefully.

"I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry"

"But I can't die! I've got a future! With the Doctor - you told me!" Donna shouted feeling terrified.

"Activate!" Captain Magambo shouted.

Sparks flew around her and she was engulfed in a white light.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

She was running while inwardly cursing the Rose, the git dropped her off half a mile away and she only has a few minutes to stop herself from turning right, it was obvious that Rose was just as bad as the Doctor when it came to driving in time. She saw the lorry drive past and she realised something...she was going to die. She took a deep breath before taking a step into the road in front of the speeding lorry.

She lies there on the floor bleeding and broken inside and there stood Rose mouthing I'm sorry to her. She bends to her knees as she strokes her hair briefly.

"When you see the Doctor" she said quietly. "Tell him this..." she bends down and whispers two words, her warm breath tickles her neck before she pulls back. Donna blinked; she had heard those words oh so long ago.

"_Well, that decides it. I'm not sitting in a traffic jam. I'm going left."_

She heard herself say and then she saw. A brown haired man looking cold and dark as fire and water raged on. The same brown man beaming at her as they have a snowball fight, creatures that she couldn't imagine, people she never met. Adventures, laughter, friends...

She woke with a gasp and let go of the Fortune Teller's hands screaming. Something drops off her back and the Fortune Teller is cowering in the corner.

"What the hell is that?" Donna spat out getting up from her seat.

"You were so strong. What are you? What will you be?" the woman backed out of the tent screaming. "What will you be?"

The tent flap is lifted open and the Doctor steps in smiling. "There you are! I thought I lost you"

Donna threw her arms round the Doctor, holding him tightly.

"What was that for?" the Doctor asked laughing.

"I don't know" Donna said.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

The Doctor was poking the insect thing with an incense stick as Donna sat there thoughtfully.

"Can't remember much" she said. ""it's slipping away. You know like you have a dream and it sort of just goes"

"Just got lucky, this thing. It's one of the Trickster's brigade. Changes a life in tiny little ways. Most times, the universe just compensates around it, but with you... great big parallel world!" the Doctor said admiringly.

"Hold on, you said parallel worlds are sealed off." Donna said frowning.

"They are. But you had one created around you" the Doctor stared at her curiously. "Funny thing is, seems to be happening a lot. To you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Donna snapped.

"Well, the Library and then this..." the Doctor said shrugging.

"Just... goes with the job. I suppose" Donna sighed.

"Sometimes I think there's way too much coincidence around you, Donna. I met you once. Then I met you again. In the whole wide universe, I met you for a second time. It's like something's binding us together." The Doctor said thoughtfully.

"Don't be so daft. I'm nothing special." Donna snorted.

"Yes you are you're brilliant" the Doctor said fondly with a smile.

Something in Donna's mind clicked. "Rose said that" she whispered. And then she broke down into tears.

"Donna? Donna what's wrong?" the Doctor asked worriedly.

"I killed you!" Donna sobbed. "I killed you!"

"No you didn't you silly cow!" the Doctor said grabbing hold of Donna. "That world wasn't real! Hang on what do you mean by Rose?"

Suddenly Donna slapped him. "I am not a silly cow!" she retorted. "If you must know Rose said all the stars were going out"

"Yes but that worlds' gone now" the Doctor pointed out. "What had Rose got to do with this?"

"No but she said it was all worlds. Every world. She said the darkness is coming, even here" Donna said stressing on each word hoping the Doctor would understand. "Rose was brought across to save them all. To find you" she paused. "She wanted me to tell you something...to warn you...just two words"

The Doctor who looked pale and terrified asked. Two words? What were they? What did he say?"

"Bad Wolf"

The Doctor sat there frozen. "No" he whispered. "It can't be"

The Doctor jumps up and runs out of the tent, the banners were now translated to Bad Wolf, the posters were now saying Bad Wolf and the moment he reached the TARDIS every word on it was replaced with Bad Wolf. He stepped into to see the light a dark red and the cloister bells ringing. Donna comes in after him, panting.

"What is it? What's happening?"

"It's the end of the universe"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

They landed on Earth on a bright, sunny Saturday and found nothing wrong. When they went inside the TARDIS and discussed what could happen the TARDIS shook and they opened the door to find the planet missing. When the Doctor dragged them to the Shadow Proclamation and they found out that altogether, there was 27 planets missing. When Donna mentioned the missing bees that her mother had been raving about the Doctor worked out a way to find Earth, he had to give the Shadow Proclamation the slip since they wanted to follow and fight a war.

There was no planets at the Medusa Cascade. But when a signal came through Donna's phone they managed to travel through one second and suddenly Jack, Sarah Jane and for some reason Martha Jones (who revealed that UNIT hired her sometime after the ATMOS situation) on the console screen. They were discussing daleks when the king himself, Davros appeared. After a small chat with him the Doctor flew the TARDIS to Earth.

Donna and the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS to find themselves outside by a church in an abandoned street, cars were left scattered on the road with their doors hanging open.

"It's like a ghost town" Donna breathed.

The Doctor turned to face her. "Sarah Jane said they were taking people but why? What do they need? Donna what did Rose tell you? In that world of yours"

Donna shrugged. "Just that the darkness was coming and the stars were going out"

"Please Donna think harder. There must have been more than that!" the Doctor growled in frustration.

A small sly smile grew on Donna's face. "Well then, why don't you ask her yourself?"

The Doctor's breath caught in his throat as the meaning of Donna's words got to him. He let out a shaky breath as he turned round slowly to see Rose standing there grinning insanely.

"Rose?" the Doctor whispered slowly walking towards her, she was walking towards him and suddenly they both broke into a run.

Neither of them noticed the dalek until it was too late.

"EX-TERMINATE!"

A green laser beam shot out and hit the Doctor who tumbled to the ground. Jack appeared and destroyed the dalek just as Donna ran up to the Doctor who was lying in Rose's arms muttering to her while groaning in pain. Jack was convincing Rose to take the Doctor into the TARDIS and the three carried the Doctor in.

There was panic, Rose didn't want the Doctor to regenerate and quite honestly neither did Donna. Jack was trying to keep things calm when the Doctor slowly stood up.

"I'm so sorry. But it's starting"

He was then consumed by flames.


	31. Epilogue: Good Journeys Begin in Cardiff

**Previously:**

_There was panic, Rose didn't want the Doctor to regenerate and quite honestly neither did Donna. Jack was trying to keep things calm when the Doctor slowly stood up. _

"_I'm so sorry. But it's starting"_

_He was then consumed by flames. _

___After a few seconds, the Doctor suddenly turned around and directs the flames towards the hand in the jar, making it glow and bubble wildly. The flames fades away and the Doctor leans to a support, gasping, but still looking the same._

"Now then. Where were we?" the Doctor asked running his fingers through his hair. Donna, Rose and Jack stare at him in disbelieve as he goes on to his hands and knees in front of the jar which is still glowing and bubbling. "There now..." he whispered as he blows onto the jar, the glow fades away and the bubbling stops. "You see?" the Doctor sits up "Used the regeneration energy to heal myself, but soon as I was done, I didn't need to change. I didn't want to, why would I?" ___the Doctor adjusts his tie and looks smug "look _at me! So, to stop the energy going all the way, I siphoned off the rest into a handy bio-matching receptacle, namely, my hand, my hand there, my handy spare hand!"

_"__You are far too smug for your own good" Donna said faintly. The Doctor however was looking at Rose intensely and Donna knew he wanted her approval no one else's. _

**"**Remember, Christmas Day, Scyorax, lost my hand in a sword fight? That's my hand. What d'you think?" the Doctor asked waving a hand.

Rose walked forwards slowly "You - you're still you?" she asked.

"I'm still me" the Doctor said reassuringly. They stared each other for a moment longer before hugging each other tightly.

"Aw" Donna said before turning to Jack with a grin on her face. "You know what I want" she said to him, Jack laughed before pulling Donna into a big bear hug.

"Team TARDIS back together" he said cheerfully before dropping Donna and pulling Rose into a hug, the Doctor snatches Donna into a hug and the four end up in a hugging frenzy.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

___Suddenly the console room goes dark. _"They've got us! Power's gone! Some kind of chronon loop..." the Doctor shouted panicked.

"There's a massive Dalek ship at the centre of the planets. They're calling it the Crucible. Guess that's our destination." Jack sighed.

"You said these planets were like an engine. But what for?" Donna asked the Doctor

"Rose! You've been in a parallel world, that world's running ahead of this universe. You've seen the future. What was it?" the Doctor asked hurriedly.

"It's the darkness." Rose shrugged.

"The stars were going out." Donna whispered.

"One by one. We looked up at the sky and they were just dying. Basically, we've been building this, um... this travel machine, this... this, err, Dimension Cannon, so I c- well, so, I could..." Rose stuttered blushing.

"What?" the Doctor pressed with a knowing grin on his smug face.

"So I could come back." Rose whispered and the Doctor's grin widened._ "_Shut up. Anyway, suddenly, it started to work and the dimensions started to collapse. Not just in our world, not just in yours, but the whole of reality. Even the Void was dead. Something is destroying everything."

"In that parallel world... you said something about me" Donna said.

"The Dimension Cannon could measure timelines, and it's... its weird, Donna, but they all seemed to converge on you." Rose explained.

"But why me? I mean, what have I ever done? I'm a temp. From Chiswick!" Donna shrieked, Jack placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and she leaned into him. A beep grabbed the Doctor's attention as he leans towards the monitor.

_"_The Dalek Crucible. All aboard!" he said, he then sighed. "We'll have to go out. Cos if we don't, they'll get in."

"You told me nothing could get through those doors." Rose protested.

"You've got extrapolator shielding!" Jack shouted, agitated.

"Last time we fought the Daleks, they were scavengers and hybrids and mad. But this is a fully-fledged Dalek Empire, at the height of its power. Experts at fighting TARDISes, they can do anything. Right now, that wooden door... is just wood." The Doctor explained.

Donna wasn't listening though, she was too busy paying attention to a heart beat that she can, the soft thumping noise made her tune out from the conversation.

"Donna?" someone was calling her, but she ignored it as she tried to pay attention to the mysterious heart beat. "Donna?" someone called louder, snapping her out of her trance.

**"**Yeah" she murmured.

"I'm sorry. There's nothing else we can do" the Doctor said apologetically.

"Look, I know" Donna retorted.

"Daleks" Rose said laughing nervously.

"Oh, God!" Jack said laughing as well.

"It's been good, though, hasn't it? All of us, all of it. Everything we did." The Doctor babbled turning to Donna "You were brilliant" Donna smiled sweetly as he turned to Jack. "And you were brilliant" Jack grinned as the Doctor turned to Rose. "And you were brilliant" the Doctor took a deep breath. "Blimey!"

The Doctor walked out of the TARDIS slowly, with Rose and Jack following, Donna pauses as the heart beat started again and she listened to it.

"Donna, you're no safer in there." The Doctor called out to her. She turned back to the door and walks to it when it suddenly slams shut. "What?!" the Doctor shouted.

******Donna bangs on the door "**Doctor? What have you done?" she shrieked.

"It wasn't me, I didn't do anything!" the Doctor protested.

**"**Oi! Oi, I'm not staying behind!" Donna snarled. "Not again, not like last time"

"What did you do?!" she can hear the Doctor shouting.

**"**Doctor!" Donna screamed and then suddenly, she fell. The TARDIS was falling and it was pulling her along with it.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

___Before Donna knows it the glass in the TARDIS smashes and a large fire starts inside, Donna screams and falls to the floor, coughing into the smoke but then she hears the heart beat again and as if she was in a trance she turns to the hand in the jar and reaches out to touch it. A golden flame appear and engulfs her, she shudders and chokes on her own breath as the jar smashes. Donna sits there looking curiously at the hand which laid on the floor glowing, the fingers twitched and the golden flames stretches out into a shape of a man, fully formed he sits up and the flames disappear revealing the Doctor. _

**"**It's you..." Donna whispered.

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor grinned.

******Donna's eyes widened and she turns her eyes away "**You're naked" she squawked.

**"**Oh, yes!" the Doctor said beaming as he gets up and pushes some buttons on the console, taking them away from the fire.

Donna immediately pushes him into the hall, her eyes shut. "Put some clothes on now!" she shouted. "Seeing my brother in the nude is something I never wanted to see. I'm scarred for life now!"

___DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW_

___The Doctor was now dressed in his blue suit with a red t-shirt running around as he was putting his jacket on. _"All repaired, lovely! Ssh! No-one knows we're here. Gotta keep quiet. Silent running, like on submarines when you can't even drop a spanner. Don't drop a spanner! I like blue, what d'you think?"

"You. Are. Bonkers!" Donna choked out.

"Why?! What's wrong with blue?" the Doctor asked looking indignant.

"Is that what Time Lords do? Lop a bit off, grow another one? You're like worms!" Donna shrieked.

No, no, no, no, no, I'm unique. Never been another like me. Cos all that regeneration energy went into the hand. Look at my hand! I love that hand! But then you touched it, WHAM!" Donna jumped and let out a yelp_ "_Ssh! Instantaneous biological metacrisis. I grew...out of you! Still, could be worse."

"Oi! Watch it, Space-Boy!" Donna retorted.

"Oi! Watch it, Earth-Girl!" the Doctor retorted both gasp and their mouths drop open in surprise. "Oh... I sound like you. I sound all... all sort of... rough." He said.

"Oi!"

"Oi!"

**"**Oi!"

"Spanners, Ssh! I must've picked up a bit of your voice, that's all. Is it? Did I? No! Oh, you are kidding me, no way. One heart." ___The Doctor touches his chest in shock.__ "_I've got one heart! This body has got only one heart!" he shouted, horrified.

What?" Donna reached out and touched his chest. "What, like you're human?" she asked.

"Oh, that's disgusting!" the Doctor said pulling a face.

"Oi!"

"Oi!"

"Stop it!" Donna hissed.

"No, wait; I'm... part Time Lord, part human." The Doctor said looking shocked, horrified and terrified.

Donna looked gob smacked. "You're part me! Now we really are siblings!"

_"_Well, isn't that wizard?" the Doctor said sarcastically causing Donna to slap him. "Ow! I was just born today, give me a break!"

"I kept hearing that noise, that heartbeat..." Donna whispered ignoring the whinging Doctor.

"Oh, that was me. My single heart. Cos I'm a complicated event in time and space, must have rippled back. Converging on you." The Doctor said walking to the console.

"But why me?" Donna asked.

**"**Cos you're special."

"Oh, I keep telling you, I'm not!" Donna said frustrated.

"No, but you are." He looked at her as if he was just started to understand. "Oh. You really don't believe that, do you? I can see, Donna... what you're thinking. All that attitude. All that lip. Cos all this time... you think you're not worth it."

"Stop it!"

"Shouting at the world, cos no-one's listening. Well... why should they?"

"Doctor. Stop it." Donna shouted pressing her hands over her ears.

"But look at what you did!" the Doctor said proudly, then suddenly realisation hits him. "No, it's more than that, it's like... we were heading for this since the day we were reunited." He remembered Donna in her wedding dress. "You came to the TARDIS, travelled with me, left me...and I came back" he remembered that Christmas, one of the best other than the one with Rose. "Your granddad" it was odd for Wilf to be there the right moment to remind him that Donna was waiting. "Your car!" the bet, it was weird for them to be parked so near, that shouldn't have happened at all. "Donna, your car, you-you parked your car right where the TARDIS was gonna land, that's not coincidence at all! We've been blind. Something's been drawing us together for such a long time."

"But you're talking, like... destiny. There's no such thing, is there?" Donna said confused and lost.

"It's still not finished. It's like... the pattern's not complete, the strands are still drawing together. But heading for what?" the Doctor said wonderingly, suddenly the TARDIS shakes violently and they run to the monitor to see what's happening. "It's the planets. The 27 planets!"

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Nothing is ever easy is it? The Doctor discovered that the planets made up a reality bomb and created a little device to destroy the daleks, when he exited he was electrocuted and imprisoned living Donna to save everyone, she grabbed the device but she didn't know how to work it and got shocked herself, her back hitting the wall as she fell to the floor. She could hear everyone screaming and Davros acting oh so smug as they counted down to the reality bomb, she crawled up to the bomb and suddenly she knew. She pulled out the plug and stood up slowly with a smug grin on her face.

**"**Oh... closing all Z-Neutrino relay loops using an internalised synchronous back-feed reversal loop?" she flicks a switch. "That button there!"

"System in shutdown!" a dalek croaked.

"Detonation negative!" another one shouted.

"Explain! Explain! Explain!" the supreme dalek ordered.

"Donna, you can't even change a plug!" the Doctor in the brown suit said looking amused.

"D'you wanna bet, Time-Boy?" Donna asked grinning.

"You'll suffer for this!" Davros shouted lifting a hand to zap her again but Donna quickly flicked another switch and the electrocuting shocks Davros instead. "Argh!"

"Oh, bio-electric dampening field with a retrogressive arc inversion?" Donna said cockily.

"Exterminate her!" Davros barked.

"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" the daleks shouted, Donna grinned and worked on the control panel before turning to the daleks with a cheeky smile. "Weapons non-functional."

"What? Macro transmission of a K-filter wavelength blocking Dalek weaponry in a self-replicating energy blindfold matrix?" Donna babbled.

"How d'you work that out? You..." the brown suited Doctor said stunned.

"Time Lord! Part Time Lord!" the blue suited Doctor said with a smile forming on his face.

Part human! Oh, yes! That was a two-way biological metacrisis" Donna said delighted. "Half Doctor, half Donna!"

"The DoctorDonna! Just like the Ood said, remember? They saw it coming! The DoctorDonna!" the brown suited Doctor shouted.

Donna pressed a couple buttons. "Holding cells deactivated. And seal the Vault. Well, don't just stand there, you skinny boys in suits! Get to work!" she ordered the Doctors who ran to the control panel.

"Stop them! Get them away from the controls." Davros ordered, Donna merely flicked another switch and turns a dial.

"Aaand spin."

___The daleks begin to spin.__ "_Help me, help me!" Donna repeats the process in the opposite direction.

"Aaand the other way"

"What did you do?!" the blue suited Doctor asked.

"Trip-stitch circuit-breaker in the psycho-kinetic threshold manipulator!" Donna explained.

**"**But that's brilliant!" the blue suited Doctor exclaimed.

"Why did we never think of that?" the brown suited Doctor asked.

"Because you two, you were just Time Lords, you dumbos! Lacking that little bit of human, that gut instinct that comes hand in hand with Planet Earth. I can think of ideas you two wouldn't dream of in a million years! Ah, the universe has been waiting for me! Now... let's send that trip-stitch all over the ship! Did I ever tell you?" Donna held up her hands and waggled her fingers. "Best temp in Chiswick, 100 words per minute!"

"Ha!"

**"**System malfunction!" one dalek shouted.

"Motor casing interference!" another one complained.

"What is happening? Explain!" the supreme dalek bellowed.

"Come on then, boys, we've got 27 planets to send home! Activate Magnetron!" Donna ordered the Doctors.

"Stop this at once!" Davros barked. Jack, Mickey, Sarah Jane, Rose and Martha helped move the daleks out of the way as Donna and the Doctor's kept working.

"Ready? And reverse!" Donna shouted joyfully.

_"_Off you go, Clom." The brown suited Doctor shouted.

"Back home, Adipose 3!" the blue suited Doctor shouted.

"Shallacatop, Pyrovillia and the Lost Moon of Poosh, sorted! Ha!" Donna threw her head back in laughter.

"Ha!" the blue suited Doctor joined in.

"We need more power!" the brown suited Doctor said worriedly.

"Is anyone gonna tell us what's going on?" Rose asked smiling.

"He" Donna gestured to the brown suited Doctor. "Poured all his regeneration energy into his spare hand, I touched the hand, he" she gestured to the blue Doctor. "Grew out of that but that fed back into me. But, it just stayed dormant in my head till the synapses got that little extra spark, kicking them into life. Thank you, Davros! Part human... part Time Lord. And I got the best bit of the Doctor. I got his mind!"

"So there's three of you?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Three Doctors?" Rose said thoughtfully causing Donna to smirk filthy and wink.

"I can't tell you what I'm thinking right now." Jack said shaking his head.

"You can stop thinking it if you want sex tonight" Donna snapped, Jack pouted but didn't say anything.

"You're so unique the timelines were converging on you. Human being with a Time Lord brain." The brown suited Doctor said wonderingly.

**"**But you promised me, Dalek Caan! Why did you not foresee this?" Davros shouted. Dalek Caan merely giggles.

**"**Oh, I think he did. Something's been manipulating the timelines for ages. Getting Donna Noble to the right place at the right time." The brown suited Doctor said.

"This would always have happened. I only helped, Doctor" Caan said.

"You betrayed the Daleks!" Davros roared.

"I saw the Daleks. What we have done, throughout time and space, I saw the truth of us, Creator, and I decreed "No more!"" Caan shouted back. The supreme dalek descended into the vault.

Jack holds his gun up. "Heads up!"

"Davros! You have betrayed us!" the supreme dalek accused.

"It was Dalek Caan." Davros protested.

"The Vault will be purged! You will all be exterminated!" the supreme dalek shouted shooting at the control panel.

_"_Like I was saying. Feel this!" Jack said shooting the gun and blasting it to bits easily.

"Oh, we've lost the Magnetron! And there's only one planet left - guess which one? But we can use the TARDIS..." the brown suited Doctor runs back into the TARDIS while the blue one flicks switches on the remains of the control panel.

"Holding Earth stability! Maintaining atmospheric shell" the blue suited one murmured.

"The prophecy must complete" Caan sang.

"Don't listen to him!" Davros shouted.

"I have seen the end of everything Dalek, and you must make it happen, Doctor!" Caan carried on.

"He's right. Cos with or without a Reality Bomb, this Dalek Empire's big enough to slaughter the cosmos... They've got to be stopped!" the blue suited Doctor said.

"Just - just wait for the Doctor!" Donna said weakly.

"I am the Doctor!" the blue suited shouted as he worked with the controls. "Maximising Dalekanium power feeds! Blasting them back!"

One by one the daleks exploded as the Crucible began to shake. The brown suited Doctor ran out looking horrified. "What have you done?" he shouted.

**"**Fulfilling the prophecy" the blue suited said furious.

"D'you know what you've done? Now get in the TARDIS! Everyone! All of you, inside! Run! In! In! In! In!" the brown suited Doctor said ordering everyone in.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

With the help of Torchwood, K-9, Luke and Mr Smith they used the TARDIS to drag Earth back to it's original position, they then applauded each other and began to hug each other. Donna spotted Sarah Jane hugging Jack a little too tightly for her liking and pulled the elder woman off of him and pushed her away as she yanked Jack's head down and kissed him fiercely.

Jack was laughing against her mouth as his arms wrapped round her.

"Get a room!" Mickey shouted.

Donna pulled away and stuck her tongue out at him. "Get a girlfriend" she shot back. "In fact I think Martha is single" both Mickey and Martha blushed and avoided to look at one another.

The blue suited Doctor was holding onto Rose rather possessively causing the brown suited Doctor to glare and try to pry Rose out of his 'twins' arms.

"Let go, I want to give her hug" the brown one snapped.

"You must have hugged her at least five times before I was created, my turn" the blue one shot back.

"We were too busy saving the universe from the daleks to do any canoodling" the brown one spat out.

"Canoodling?" Mickey muttered to Jack who was sniggering and Donna who looked embarrassed.

"Well tough titties Space-Boy she's mine for now" the blue one said smugly while nuzzling Rose's hair.

"Couldn't we...erm...just have a group hug?" Rose suggested weakly.

"No" both Doctors snapped in unison.

"Don't try Rose the pair are as stubborn and possessive as the other" Donna said rolling her eyes. "Trust me you do not want to know about some of the fantasies they have"

"I do!" Jack cried out. "I need some good blackmailing material"

"Don't even think about telling him Donna!" the Doctors shouted.

"I don't even want to remember this conversation" Jackie muttered looking a bit pale.

"Same here" Sarah Jane replied. "Doctor, could we go back to Earth now? I want to see my son" she called out distracting both Doctors, the blue one even let Rose go.

"Sure, we'll pilot together, come on everyone places, Mickey try not to push down to hard we don't want to end up in another parallel universe, All-all-all-al-allonsy!" the blue Doctor said stuttering over the last word.

Everyone frowned with concern; Rose reached out and touched the Doctor's shoulder. "Doctor?" she said softly.

"Rose! Pink and yellow, all pink and yellow beautiful fantastical Rose, Ro-Ro-Ro-Ro-Ro" the blue Doctor grabbed hold of Rose's shoulders in a tight grip. "I'm burning up" he confessed. "Time Lord Mind in a Human body, not meant to happen that"

"What about Donna?" Jack asked panicked.

"She'll die as well if we don't..." the brown suited Doctor turned back to the blue one. "I can save you, erase your memories, let you live a human life" he offered.

"And forget Galifrey? Forget the TARDIS? Forget Rose? And Donna, Jack and Sarah Jane? To forget every companion and planet and friend I have ever known? You might as well k-ki-ki-ki-kill me, I refuse to forget" the blue suited Doctor snarled.

The brown suited Doctor nodded and ushered everyone else out of the console room, shutting the door behind him firmly.

"Rose" the blue Doctor breathed. "Oh Rose I mi-mi-mi-missed you." He pulled her head down to meet his lips in a fierce kiss. "I lo-lo-lo-lo-love you"

"I love you too" Rose said tearfully. "Please don't die" she begged.

"Not really" the blue suited Doctor choked out before pulling her in for another kiss. He then buried his head into her neck and took one last shuddering breath before collapsing in her arms.

Meanwhile in the hall Jack turned to face the Doctor with concern. "What's going to happen to Donna?"

"Nothing" the Doctor said flatly. "I'm erasing her memories. Not all of them like I would have done to him...just the ones of this face"

"What?!" Donna squeaked. "NO! I refuse to! Please no! Before I found you again I was practically dead, don't send me back!"

The Doctor advanced to her, Jack held her arms tightly. "I promise you Donna Noble" the Doctor whispered. "When I regenerate, I'll come for you...you'll never lose contact with Rose, you'll always have Jack"

"Please don't" Donna whispered, tears falling down her face.

The Doctor pressed his hands on her temples and she saw everything from before Lance to now. The Doctor, the Racnoss, Martha, the Judoon, Shakespeare, the Face of Boe declaring his love, Tallulah and Lazlo, Lazarus, John Noble, Sally Sparrow, being reunited with Jack, the Master, the year that never was, Adipose Industries, Pompeii, the Ood, the Sontarans, Jenny, Agatha Christie, River Song, Midnight, Rose returning....

All of it flickered past her eyes and then it all went dark.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Donna stirred in her deep sleep, letting out a groan of protest not wanting to wake up; she rolled over and wrapped an arm round something warm.

"I forgotten how adorable you are in your sleep" an American drawl came from above her.

Donna's eyes flew open and there looking at her in concern was Jack, he grinned down at her. "Good morning darling, well evening actually"

"JACK!" Donna shrieked pushing him out of her bed. "What the hell are you doing here? How are you here? Am I dreaming again?"

"Oh so you dream about me?" Jack's smug voice came from the floor.

"Oh shut up you smug bastard" Donna snapped rolling off of her bed; she squinted at the calendar she had pinned to her wall. "2008?" she murmured. "But it's 2006"

Before Jack could form a reply Donna could hear the TARDIS engines, she ran to her window in time to see the TARDIS fade away in the rain. "NO!" she screamed. "DOCTOR!"

She felt Jack place a hand on her shoulder. "To save your life he erased two years of your memories" he whispered in her ear. "You can't remember his present face. It'll kill you; he'll come back for you in time"

"But he's all on his own" Donna whispered, a tear falling down on her cheek.

Jack kissed the tear away. "No he isn't. He's got Rose all to himself now"

"But Rose died! In the Battle of Canary Wharf" Donna protested.

"She's alive Donna, I promise you she's alive" Jack said.

Donna sighed in relieve then she frowned. "What the hell am I going to do now?" she demanded.

"Hmm...Well I was thinking Cardiff" Jack said clucking his tongue.

"Cardiff? Why the fuck would I go to that bog hole?"

"well I dunno, lots of aliens to chase and capture, a nice cosy little flat from for two, maybe a house for five or more later...oh and did I mention Cardiff has a nice registry office?"

"Are you trying to propose?" Donna asked suspiciously.

"Is it working?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Ask me later...in a far more romantic way" Donna ordered. "Right now you can kiss me"

"Aye, aye Ma'am" Jack said bending down to kiss Donna.

"So Cardiff?" Donna said breathlessly when they pulled away.

"I heard that's where all the good journeys begin" Jack said winking.

**Authors note: thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited and story alerted this fic. I hope you enjoyed it. **


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